


The Blood Wraith

by Red7s



Series: The Four Pillars (Title Subject to Change) [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2019-07-20
Packaged: 2020-07-09 11:03:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 33
Words: 55,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19886539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Red7s/pseuds/Red7s
Summary: A work that I posted on Fanfiction and decided to export here so that it'll make sense once I start on the sequels. I hope you all enjoy it! I even left the Author's Notes the same because I'm lazy that way.Falling off of a bridge into water wasn't high on his list of ways to die. But it would have to do. After all, it was the most convenient way to help himself, and nobody had to know. Not that they cared.UPDATE: Currently being reworked from the ground up with new characters, better development, and possibly a new title/series name.





	1. Pure Imagination

**Author's Note:**

> So, yeah. I can just hear my followers saying "there he goes again".To everyone else, hello! I hope you enjoy my story so far that will involve the Batfamily quite heavily. Fair warning! I'm 98% new to this entire fandom. I've tided (is that a word?) myself over with fandom wikis, fanart, and this site. I'd read the comics, but I live in Bumfuck Nowhere, America. Wish me luck finding a store for it.
> 
> As for continuity, I'm not 100% certain. I suppose New 52, as I prefer it when Jason has a more positive relationship with his family, or at least with Tim. But if I hit a lot of continuity errors, consider it Earth number whatever-they-haven't-used.
> 
> With that out of the way...enjoy!

_What a great frickin way to enjoy Christmas Eve._ Roy thought bitterly as he trudged down the sidewalk. His green oversized jacket didn't do a whole lot to keep him warm, but at least he wasn't freezing. The laces of his black converse smacked into the concrete with each footfall, threatening to tangle in each other or get stuck. He'd just slipped his shoes on without tying them as he ran out of the house. Figured. As he sighed and knelt to tie them, the wind blew the jacket hood off of his head, revealing a shock of messy, but straight brown hair. He huffed in annoyance and brushed his bangs away repeatedly as they tried to smack his eyes until the wind died down. He finished tying the laces and stood, sharp jade eyes framing a pale, rounded face and small nose turning up to the cloudy Gotham sky just as the first snowflakes began to fall.

He needed to get this over with. There wasn't much time before either his parents came looking for him or the GCPD came by. He doubted the freaking Batman would care, as he had no threat of being robbed or kidnapped. He had nothing of value on him sans his clothing, and even those were cheap and nigh thread bare. He looked ahead of him and began walking as he contemplated more reasons he was safe walking down the street at night.

Well, he was average (in his opinion) in the looks department, so he didn't think anybody would throw him in a human trafficking ring. Now, what else was a possible danger...?

Oh yeah!

_It was too fucking dark._

He felt like a baby, a feeling he absolutely hated with a passion, but it was true. He hated the dark. He wasn't the type to see monsters in the shadows he passed or went through, but if somebody _did_ attack him, he wouldn't be able to see them well enough to fight back.

Not that he could do much. He'd never learned how to fight. He'd been taught to cover vital places and just take whatever came. Self-taught, of course, or he'd have been in the hospital at least three more times this year. Courtesy of dear old Papa.

He was approaching the bridge now. Good thing it was fairly close to his house. As he walked, he sang quietly to occupy the otherwise silent night. Heh, see what he did there?

_"Come with me...and you'll be in a world of pure imagination...take a look, and you'll see into your imagination..."_ He sighed, his breath flowing out in a billow of fog that disappeared a few inches out. He cracked a smile as he remembered that when he was little he would pretend to be a dragon when that happened. Back then, his Mama and Papa would have laughed or taken a picture.

But not anymore. And probably never again.

_"We'll begin,"_ He continued as he started the uphill climb as the bridge rose and went across the ocean to the next island that made up Gotham City, _"with a spin. Traveling through the world of my creation. What we'll see will defy explanation..."_ Yeah, that was quite appropriate. Half of what happened in Gotham defied explanation.

Like how his parents transitioned from loving and attentive to neglectful and violent. But that was okay. He'd finally figured out how to make it all better.

He hummed the next verse of the song as he made it halfway across the bridge and stared down at the water. It definitely wasn't highest on his list of places to die. He hummed about changing the world and being free if he truly wished to be as he carefully climbed onto the railing and turned around so he was facing the road. No traffic, and nobody around. Perfect, the last thing he needed was for the police to be called. He took a slow, deep breath...

And pitched himself backwards off of the bridge.

It was a thrill. Like when the roller coaster races down the hill. That strong, tingly feeling in the pit of your stomach. The stars were so beautiful tonight...so beautiful...

He counted to five.

It always felt weird when he did this. He felt weightless, as if nothing were there but his mind and eyes. A red haze covered his vision, wavering and curling like smoke. That's what he was, after all. Just a red cloud of smoke.

_Up._ He thought. He went up, back onto the bridge, and counted to five again. Counting wasn't needed, but it calmed him enough to revert back. It was jarring, suddenly having weight and a body and clear vision again. But he felt better.

So much better.

With a smile, he sang much louder and more cheerfully as he made the trek back home. The blood red in his eyes and hair would fade by then, as it always did.

Elroy O'Hara wouldn't come back to the bridge for four months, and he had no way of knowing how much that particular night would change his whole life.

For better or for worse.

_"Living there, you'll be free..._ **_if you truly wish to be..."_ **


	2. Caught

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need to explain some things.
> 
> 1: My friend Raving Swarm and I decided that I'll write chapters ahead, then wait about a week or less between actual updates.
> 
> 2: Elroy is 17 and Irish-American. Dick is 24, Jason is 19, Tim is 17, Damian is...12, I guess? And Bruce is...well...how old is he, exactly? Whatever.
> 
> 3: The full extent of Elroy's powers will be explained as time goes on. But he's no Mary Sue.
> 
> To the Guest that left several reviews: I appreciate you trying to inform me, but it's not necessary to post all of that. Thank you, though!
> 
> Enjoy everybody!

"Come on, Mama." Roy said quietly as he sat beside her on the couch. "Say something..." Aileen barely gave her son a glance. Her gorgeous green eyes flicked towards him, then went back to the apparently interesting coffee table. Roy sighed. "I'm headed out for a walk, okay?" He kissed her cheek. No response. _"Is breá liom duit, Mama."_ He stood and walked out the door. She never looked up, her long and just slightly curly black hair hiding her face.

Elroy briefly grimaced as the cool April air flew over him gently. Gotham, New Jersey was always cool. _Not very different from Ireland_ , his grandma would've probably said. But she'd been gone for several years now. Roy was more of a warm weather person himself. He began the hike to the bridge for the first time in months. He had a fully planned coping mechanism there, after all. He heard a taxi approach from behind and hailed it.

"Need a ride, kid?" The driver asked. Roy resisted making a face. He was hoping he'd get somebody at least around the same build. It was easier that way. This man was at least one hundred pounds heavier, and had a bushy mustache. But he nodded and offered his most innocent smile. "Get in, then, and tell me where." Roy nodded and got into the back of the cab.

He counted to five.

He counted when going into the haze to prepare himself for the feeling. It was easy. There was no special trick. It was like voluntarily flaring your nose, or wiggling your ears: something you could always do, but can't explain how you make it happen. Like flexing a muscle, like breathing.

_Possess_. He thought. The smoke cloud flew forward, and then Roy felt his stomach expand, facial hair grow, his weight increase. Always a weird experience. But then he knew it all. The exact speed limit, about how long the drive would be in that time...and as he drove towards the bridge, he could drive as well as the cabbie. Because he _was_ the cabbie. Well, except for one dead giveaway.

His irises were bloody red.

More often than not, it was a bother that just gave him away. Therefore practice was limited to isolated areas. It was like a fun little game of Pretend, and today he was a cabbie that was having another mediocre business day near the slums of Gotham City. He was worried about gang violence, but not too worried because he stayed out of stuff like that so they had no reason to target him. Plus he had a gun in his pocket, and it was loaded, but he kept the safety on because what kind of idiot had the safety off to a gun he kept in his freaking pocket?

All too soon, the ride was over. Halfway across the bridge. How nostalgic. He could walk the whole way back. He relaxed whatever mental muscle he was training, and he was now out of the cab, in his own body. Before the cabbie could start asking freaked out questions, Roy shoved two twenties in his face, which the man eagerly took before driving off. Probably eager to get away from the freaky teen with the red eyes.

He wouldn't be the only person to feel that way.

Roy walked to the railing again and stared down at the water. It was always deceptively peaceful for Gotham. Wasn't it just a few days ago that Killer Croc escaped? And he'd just been caught and arrested earlier today. Batman may have a moral code, but these guys certainly didn't. And yet, Roy couldn't help but sympathize for at least a few of them. Harley, for example.

_Stop stalling and get this over with._ He berated himself. Slowly (it was more windy today. If he got blown off and felt scared, he wouldn't be able to 'vaporize', as he called it), he stood up on the railing. He'd face forward this time, just to mix it up a bit. He took a slow, deep-

"What the Hell are you doing?!" Then a pair of arms encircled his waist and yanked him back. Roy cried out in surprise and tried to squirm out of the man's (based on voice and strength alone, he could guess this) grip without success.

"Let go of me!" He almost yelled. After a second, the stranger complied. Roy stumbled forward, then turned around. "What's your-" The word _problem_ died before it could reach his lips.

Because he was facing Red frickin Robin.

How _wonderful_. Just what he needed. Wait, crap, were his eyes still red? Hopefully, if they were, the dark concealed it.

"My problem," the hero replied evenly, "is that I almost just witnessed a suicide."

"I was not going to kill myself!" _Just jump off the bridge and come close to it_. Red Robin's eyes were concealed by the cowl, but Roy didn't need to see those to know the vigilante was taking his word with a grain of salt. "Don't you have anything better to do than harass me?" He asked sharply.

"Even if you weren't planning to kill yourself, a fall like that definitely would. Unless you have some magical power I don't know about."

"That's-" Wait, was that a trick question?

_Shit, does he know?_ Roy growled and pushed past Red Robin. "Go bother somebody else, I've got to go home." He felt the vigilante's hand on his shoulder.

"What would your parents-" Roy didn't let him get that far. He shook his hand off.

"They don't give a Goddamn what I do!" He yelled as he sped up to a jog.

Red Robin didn't follow him.

_Tim had gotten more information out of the boy than he'd expected. His irises being red for a few seconds before fading and his hesitation at Tim's statement just screamed meta-human. His parents were also clearly a sore subject, and he was walking towards one of the...ahem...less fortunate neighborhoods._

_Tim had placed a tracker on him. He was both possibly suicidal (maybe an abuse victim) and most likely a meta human, which warranted investigation._

**(A/N: I probably butchered Tim's personality XD)**

Roy hadn't meant to slam the door, but he was freaked out at being caught red handed. Some shouting, dragging, and a few blows later, and Roy was curled up in a corner of his room, taking deep breaths to keep himself from sobbing. All of him hurt. His chest, his arms, his right hand. And he felt like he was going to puke. His back was pretty bad too. It was all burning and throbbing pain.

He could hear Aiden, his Papa, yelling and ranting about how much of a fuck up his piece of shit son is to his Mama, who like always never agreed, disagreed, or commented.

_If this keeps going, he'll kill you._ Roy started. He'd had these thoughts before, but never in such stupefying clarity. _He'll probably just hide your body, and your Mama would never say a word._ Roy couldn't do this anymore. He wouldn't. Never again.

But despite the clarity of such a resolute thought, he would stay in his house for another week, planning and plotting and secretly packing.

All he needed was a lot of nerve he wasn't sure he had.

And all the while, the tiny tracker placed on his favorite jacket went unnoticed.


	3. History

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Has anybody else ever noticed how dark the song Pure Imagination actually is in certain contexts?
> 
> Just me?
> 
> Okay.
> 
> Enjoy! XD

Tonight was supposed to be the night. He'd already had his school backpack stuffed with some clothes and canned food. He'd had to eat it cold before, so that wasn't a huge problem.

Tomato sauce did taste fucking gross cold though.

He even had a place to go. An abandoned apartment complex just a few blocks down. The only problem he couldn't cover there was that he had no way of knowing who else might be squatting there. But oh well, beggers can't be choosers, as the saying went.

He would come back for visits of course, and by 'visit' he meant 'sneak in and nab more food or clothes'. And he still needed to go to school.

Like it or not, it was his only semblance of normalcy and routine anymore. So he'd left all of his pens in the small pockets of the pack.

He also had a time set up. Just an hour from what time it was now, 9:00 at night. Papa would be asleep by then. Asleep equated, more often than not, to passed out drunk.

It was a running inside joke with himself how much his father resembled the Irish alcoholic stereotype. It bordered not even being a joke, just an insanely satirical truth.

But Roy was _not_ a patient person, and it was one thing to plan to go somewhere you desperately want to in an hour. But it was an entirely new ball game to put that in practice.

So he was leaving now. And he'd only gotten halfway out the window of his room when the door opened.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" His Papa's rough voice boomed, his words slurred."Shit!" Roy yelled, leaping out the window the rest of the way. He landed hard on his left foot first and cried out as he stumbled to the ground. Jesus, his ankle _hurt_! He pushed himself up and half ran, half limped around the back of the house and into an alley between two nearby buildings. If he kept going that way, he'd be at the apartments in no time.

But he could hear his Papa's footsteps stumbling after him as said man cursed at him loudly.

"GET BACK HERE OR I SWEAR I'LL KICK YOUR ASS, YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT! YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO WALK WHEN I'M THROUGH WITH YOU!" Roy did his best to ignore his father and kept going.

It didn't take him long to find the complex. It was an old, red brick building about ten stories tall. He was only mildly certain that someone else wasn't already occupying it. It'd be ironic if he met a serial killer in there. _Out of the frying pan and into the fire._ Was that how the saying went?

He also hadn't counted on the door being locked. Damn! Wait...maybe...he looked at the bottom of the door. There was a tiny crack there. He'd be pressing his luck to try this, but...

 _It took about half a second, based on the tracker, for Tim to realize that the boy had left his house. Probably ran away. Tim kept an eye on the tracker while he ran through public files for the boy. It was easy, after inputting the address the boy had just left_.

_Aileen O'Hara_

_Aiden O'Hara_

_Elroy O'Hara_

_Aoibheann Ardagh (DECEASED)_

_Tim pondered on the last name. It hadn't been given an American pronunciation. Otherwise it would've been spelled Eavan. He clicked it, and an elderly woman with sugar-white hair appeared next to physical statistics, age, etcetera. She wasn't an illegal immigrant, so maybe she just hadn't wanted her surname changed._

_DOD: May 14, 2008. Cause: Cardiac Arrest._

_The tracker was in an unused apartment complex now. Tim would pay the place a visit if the boy stayed for longer than twelve hours. In the meantime, he clicked Aileen's file. A woman bordering middle age, but still undeniably pretty appeared on the screen. She had pale skin and slightly curled black hair. Her eyes were green, but they looked...wrong. So did her expression. Both were just...blank._

_Tim moved on to Aiden's file. A middle aged man with a square jaw and ever-so-slightly pudgy face covered in a brown beard came up. His dark brown eyes were hard as stone, and seemed angry. The exoression on his face wasn't exactly joyous either._

_Then he moved to Elroy, knowing by now he was the boy. And sure enough, his picture came up. But his eyes and hair were dark green and brown, respectively. They held none of the garnet-red that Tim had seen. Tim stored that little tidbit of information away for later. Then he looked at the public records and was unsurprised that he'd been admitted to hospitals at least thrice just this year, all suspected cases of child abuse. The most recent was for blunt-force trauma to the stomach, and he'd stayed in the hospital for almost a month._

_Tim was hardly surprised by this, but felt a twinge of anger boiling in his stomach anyway. Some people just didn't deserve to be parents. His gaze settled on the tracker again._

The lobby of this place creeped Elroy out. It was very dark and smelled like rotting wood. He pulled a flashlight out if his backpack and turned it on, pointing it at the front desk.

There was a man standing behind it and staring at Roy with a smile.

Roy swore and stepped back a bit, and the man just laughed.

"Sorry I scared you." He said kindly. "I didn't hear you come in, though. Are you here for a room?" Stunned into silence, Roy could only nod slowly.

"I-I don't have any money, though..." He said quietly after a moment. The man's gaze flicked to Roy's backpack.

"That's fine. You can stay a few nights free of charge if you agree to help me out with things around here." Despite himself, Roy grinned and nodded eagerly.

"Of course! Thank you!"

"It's not a problem! Come with me to your room." He handed Roy a key labeled 056 and started up the stairs. Hesitating for a moment, Roy followed.

When they got to the room, Roy unlocked it and opened the door. It was in surprisingly good shape for the building's age. The walls were an off-white color, the wooden floors not showing any signs of rot. The bed was messy, but clean enough. Probably crawling with bugs though. And the window was boarded up. Good. Roy turned to thank the man.

But he was gone. Roy blinked and walked back to the lobby. "Hello? Sir?" He called out. Nobody was at the front desk. Roy slowly walked back to his room, looking over his shoulder every few seconds. He locked the door when he closed it behind him.

 ** _He watched the boy walk back into his room. The illusion worked perfectly. He was getting better and better by the day. He walked into his own room and shut the door silently. It'd be nice to have a neighbor._** **_Even if said neighbor had no idea you existed._**


	4. Not Worth It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...this one was a bitch to make XD bUt It WaS wOrTh It, DaMn It! I actually had to delete a lot of the opening few paragraphs and rewrite.

Roy woke up and yawned, feeling stiff. He groaned and sat up, rubbing his neck. Then he froze. What time was it? He looked out the window, being careful not to press his hands or fingers against the splintery wood. It was just now sunrise, but he couldn't be late to school, and he was walking (running like a bat out of Hell) there today.

 _Damn it, I knew I should've nabbed Papa's watch!_ He groaned in irritation and slung his backpack on, then pocketed the room key and ran out of the building after unlocking the front door. He'd already mapped out where the school was, so getting there would be easy. Assuming that all criminals suddenly had an automatic off switch during the day. It was weird, but true as far as he'd seen. The crime rate in Gotham was surprisingly low after sunrise.

But he needed to figure out what time it was, exactly. He didn't want to find his school only to be an hour early by mistake. Or an hour late. He didn't want to have to deal with that today. So he started walking in the direction of his school, hoping he could find someone that looked approachable enough to ask the time.

_Tim could guess that Elroy was going to school pretty easily. He probably wanted any possible sense of normalcy that he could get. Tim glanced at the time on the computer monitor out of reflex, though he already knew the time. 7:13._

_Tim needed to watch Elroy, figure out what about him made him a meta human. The tracker could only do so much._

_He could hack into the security cameras at Elroy's school, see if anything conclusive was recorded. It was a longshot, but it was as good a lead as any. Besides, he'd be visiting the kid tonight anyway._ _Kid. Right. Elroy was barely younger than him._ _Tim sure as Hell felt a lot older than he was. Came with the_ _territory._ _Now, Tim needed to get back to work. He had enough to deal with at Wayne Enterprises without letting his work as Red Robin bleed into it._ _For now, all he could do was hope that he found Elroy before the wrong people did first_.

_Okay, he was too paranoid to take that chance. So he made a call to the first person he could think of._

By 7:15, Roy had finally learned the time from a nice looking possibly-pregnant woman he'd passed on the street. He'd passed plenty of people that seemed friendly enough before that, but...

He felt better when people weren't around. And it was his experience that women were generally kinder than men. After all, his Mama didn't abuse him. Physically, at any rate.

 _I still have about forty-five minutes until school begins, but getting there early isn't so bad. There will probably be other students, and it'll still take you a little while to get there on foot._ Ugh, he hated walking. And most other forms of exercise.

But he started walking to school anyway. This was going to be a long day.

When he finally got to school, he felt relieved. Nobody was giving him weird looks, so his parents probably hadn't reported him missing yet, or as a runaway. Hopefully it'd all be smooth sailing today. He got to the front doors, looked through the glass, and went still. Two GCPD officers were talking to the principal. They couldn't see him. Slowly and carefully, he opened the door and listened.

"If you see him, call us immediately. His parents reported him as a possible runaway this morning." One of them said to the principal, who nodded.

"Of course. I'll notify you the minute I see him." She replied. Roy backed away, easing the door closed, then turned and left. He had a blank, calm expression, but inside he was anything but. Before he knew it, he was approaching his parent's house.

He wasn't going back. He never would. But if he was going to be chased by the cops, he was going to make sure it was for a good reason. To him, running away from an abusive household didn't cut it.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A young voice said behind him. Roy cried out in surprise and whirled around. A boy of about twelve or thirteen was standing a few feet away, his arms crossed over his chest and his expression _stern_ of all things. It also seemed to be just a bit condescending, which pissed Roy off more than he cared to admit.

"If I were you," Roy replied acidly, "I wouldn't walk around this place with my nose turned up like that. Also, the nice guy in the van doesn't really have candy." The boy scoffed. _Scoffed._

"Empty threats and tired cliches aside, you know exactly what I'm talking about. And it isn't worth it." Roy narrowed his eyes, taking in the kid's physical features. He had dark hair and blue eyes, and was tall for his (approximate) age, as well as built. He looked sort of familiar...but he was annoying.

Roy _did_ know why this wasn't worth it, but somehow this boy saying it to him in such a tone ground on his last nerve. "And why would that be?" The boy rolled his eyes, and Roy felt his anger spike.

 **This was working like a charm. Drake had some good ideas, Damian had to admit. All he had to do was keep pushing the meta-human and he would undoubtedly do something.** **Basically, Damian just acted like himself. Strangely, his personality irked most people. And it was showing in the meta-human.** **The green irises of his eyes were slowly tinting red, and the roots of his hair were the color of blood.**

The little _cac_ was smirking at him, like he knew Roy was mad and was enjoying it.

"Beyond being incredibly foolish, for one thing? Irresponsible, and it will only make things worse."

"You don't even fucking _know_ me! _Or_ my situation!" Roy growled. Then he walked (pushed) past the boy and headed towards the apartment. "Go and piss somebody else off!" The kid was _not_ going to make him start yelling. Sadistic little creep probably just wanted to get a big reaction from him.

**When the meta-human was out of hearing range, Damian called Drake.**

**"I managed to have his hair color red as well as his eyes, but he left before I could push him further." He said as soon as Drake picked up. A deep sigh on the other end.**

**"Thanks anyway, Damian." Drake hung up. Damian walked back to the manor silently. Bruce and Alfred would be a little angry that he skipped school today, but it was business related after all.**

Of the (admittedly few) things Roy had expected to find in the apartment after the hour or so he'd been gone, an elderly homeless woman wasn't one of them. Roy had seen her sitting in a corner, jumped, and dropped his key. Her head jolted up, and they stared each other down.

She had long, frizzy iron-gray hair that reached her mid-back, and slightly wrinkly pale skin. Her eyes were dark, her clothes in surprisingly good condition for how long she had probably been without a home. She kind of reminded Roy of the grandmother from the Addams Family movie. When she finally spoke, it was with a soft and slightly raspy voice.

"Hello." That was it. Roy waited for a follow-up question or statement. None came.

"...Hello." He replied. He picked his key up off of the floor and walked towards his room. "Take whichever room you like, ma'am." He opened his room door and walked in, closing and locking it without a backward glance.

 ** _Another neighbor. Fun. But her poor old heart probably wouldn't be able to handle the shock of a similar illusion. Not fun. But she was friendly enough, and seemed harmless._** **_But looks could be deceiving, after all...best keep an eye on her._**

That night, Roy woke up for seemingly no reason. He sat up in bed and looked around. Nothing and nobody. Ditto when he peered through the window between the board gaps. So he unlocked and opened his room door, walking out into the lobby. The old lady was gone, and so was another room key. But he only registered that because Red Robin was beside the front desk.

"Hey, Elroy."


	5. Hurt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, having a deadline helps me sooo much XD
> 
> I'll be updating every sunday =3

"What do you want?" Roy asked sharply, eyes narrowed in a glare. Red Robin seemed all business, giving the room around them a once over before speaking.

"To talk to you, that's all." Roy's glare didn't fade in the slightest, but he waited for the vigilante to speak. "What're you doing here?"

"Oh, just getting out of the house for a vacation, you know, _enjoying the freaking scenery."_ Roy replied with a mock smile, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Gotham's _such_ a beautiful place in the Spring." Red Robin snorted.

"Yeah, okay. I get it. You ran away from home, didn't you?"

"From a point of view, I guess I did. Of course, I'd prefer to never use that particular point of view." He paused. "...how did you know I was staying here?"

 _"I didn't know you were_ staying _until just now." Tim lied easily. "And if you haven't run away, what're you doing?" Elroy looked like he was about to shoot out more sarcastic crap, so Tim quickly put a stop to that. "Or should I have the police ask you?"_

 _"Ha!" Elroy laughed. It was a short bark of a laugh that, where humor should've been, was filled with bitterness. "Gotham PD is a fucking_ joke, _Red Robin. I'd assumed you knew that._ Anytime _there are vigilantes in a city, it's because the local police are_ terrible _at their jobs, or corrupt, or both."_

 _"Not all of them. And this isn't about Gotham's justice system, this is about why you tried to jump off a bridge,_ then _ran away from home! How old are you, anyway? Sixteen?"_

 _"Old enough to take care of myself. Besides, it's not like I'm alone!" If Elroy had shown_ any _patience with Tim before, it was long gone now. "It must be a slow week if you're spending all of your time stalking me."_

_"I'm not stalking you, Elroy." The brunet's eyes widened, and he slowly stepped back._

_"How the Hell do you know my name?" He asked, his whole body tense and ready to move._

_"Special thing called research, Elroy. Calm down, okay? I'm just here to ask you something, and make a promise. But you have to promise me something first."_

Roy almost took Red Robin up on his offer, _almost_ asked what he had to promise. But he couldn't. He couldn't trust anybody, and he could never go back to his parents. If his Papa found him, he wouldn't live to the next day.

And nobody would care, not that he blamed them.

"Get out. Now." He said as calmly as he could. Red Robin stared at him silently. Just when Roy thought he'd refuse, he nodded.

"Okay. Just...stay safe, alright Elroy?" He walked past Roy to the door.

"Roy." Red Robin turned to look at him.

"What?"

"...just call me Roy." Then he walked back to his room, locking it behind him. He didn't try to go to sleep again until he heard the door lock turn, then the door shut.

When he left his room again at daylight, the old homeless lady was sitting at the reception desk's alarmingly fragile looking chair. Roy waved timidly when he saw her. She waved back with no such inhibitions. He leaned against the chair, smiling a little.

"Did you sleep well, s _eanmháthair?"_ He asked politely. His Grandma had taught him her native language when he was little, and his parents had helped him practice before everything...changed.

Now he knew some single words and a sentence or two from rote memory, but he'd forgotten most of it. Just another example of a good thing he'd had that just disappeared.

The woman seemed to get what he meant, though if she knew what exactly he'd said, she didn't show it. She nodded, but didn't say anything. Roy bit his lower lip, wincing when he realized how sore it was. He'd been biting his lip a lot lately.

"My name's Roy. What's yours, ma'am?" He kept smiling. She seemed nice enough, and hadn't said or done anything troublesome, so why not be polite? She was silent for several seconds, but there was no way she hadn't heard, and Roy didn't want to be rude at all, so he waited for an answer.

"Evelyn." She answered softly. Roy perked up immediately at her answer, his smile breaking out into a grin.

"That's a beautiful name! I like it!" He exclaimed, feeling much more cheerful now. The old lady, Evelyn, didn't respond at all to the compliment. She just sat there silently, and gradually Roy's excited mood died down. _She probably wants to be alone._

"Well...I'm going to head out for a while. Be safe, okay?" Without waiting for an answer, he slipped out of the building, looking around and sighing out a puff of white mist that disappeared momentarily.

Roy squinted a bit at the bright golden sunlight that shone into his eyes as he turned his head east.

He needed money. No doubt about that. Plus he'd forgotten to pack a can opener (of course), and he couldn't just buy one because, again, no money for it.

That kid had stopped him from it before, but now he was going to do it. It wouldn't be that hard anyway. His Papa would already be at work, and his Mama never really said or did anything.

He could do this.

**_The elderly woman, Evelyn as his neighbor had coaxed out of her, spoke as soon as his neighbor (Roy, he kept having to remind himself) shut the door._ **

**_"You always watch, but don't speak. Why is that?" She asked without looking towards him. He didn't answer. He was partially too surprised she noticed him and partially just didn't want to say anything to her. "He will discover your presence soon enough." Then she walked slowly into her room and shut the door. After a moment of hesitation, he returned to his room as well._ **

This was a _really_ bad idea. Possibly the worst Roy had ever had. Of all places he could've entered the house, he'd decided that the front door was the best option. Oh well, may as well check at least. He knelt down and looked at the bottom of the door, searching for a crack or gap or _something_ he could use to get in.

Nothing. Terrific. He looked at the windows, searching for an open one. Nope. Then he remembered his window and crept around the house to the window leading into his room. It was still open. He vaporized and flew into his room, looking around slowly through the red haze for anyone or anything.

Seeing no one, he solidified and opened the lowest drawer in his dresser. He didn't trust his Papa not to raid his room, so he hid all the money he saved. Carefully, he pulled the drawer out of the hinge and set it down. He reached in and grabbed the medium sized roll of cash, and a plastic baggie filled with quarters. With a grin, he stuffed the cash in his pants pocket and the bag in his jacket pocket. Slowly, he snuck into the kitchen and saw nobody.

 _Where's Mama?_ He looked behind him, suddenly paranoid, but didn't see anyone. Regardless, the feeling remained as he slowly opened a drawer in the kitchen and pulled out the can opener before sneaking back to his room. As he went through the hallway, he froze. He could feel someone at his left. So quickly he thought his neck might snap, he looked to the other end of the hall.

His Mama was standing there silently, blank faced as she stared at him. The blank look in her eyes hadn't ever seemed so sinister, so _ominous_ before. A chill ran down his back, and before he knew it he was dashing into his room and climbing out the window. In his hurry, he flipped as he slipped out and landed on his back, knocking the breath out of him. He got back up slowly, gasping for air as he tried his best to run back to the apartment.

As he began to catch his breath, he looked back to the house. His Mama wasn't chasing him, wasn't even watching him through a window. Two feelings ran through him at this realization as he turned away and kept running.

The first was relief. This meant that she wouldn't know where to direct the police even if she called them. He was in the clear.

The second, so strong he couldn't ignore it despite his desperate attempts to do so...was hurt.


	6. Followed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is going to be almost entirely out of Roy's point of view.

_Tim couldn't conclusively say what Roy may have done to enter his own house and then leave so quickly, but he had an idea._ _That could wait until later though._

_Something would happen to the tracker sometimes. For any length of time between a few seconds (the usual case) to full minutes, the screen would glitch, and the small blinking red dot of the tracker would become a much bigger dot. Upon closer inspection, this 'bigger dot' was, in fact, a_ cluster _of small tracker dots, possibly thousands spread out. After a short while, it would become the single dot again._

_Of course, it didn't take Tim long at all to go through the possibilities. His first thought was that Roy could duplicate himself, but he dismissed that quickly. Given the places he used his powers and the amount of time, having several thousand duplicates seemed to have little to no practical use._

_After creating (and dismissing) several more possibilities (including that it was just a glitch, but he found everything to be in perfect condition), Tim reached a decision: he needed to follow Roy and see for himself what the meta human could do._ _But he wasn't going to ask anybody for help this time. He could do this himself._

**Damian was many things. Temperamental, skilled in combat, intelligent, strategic, the best Robin (in his own opinion), etcetera.**

**He was all of these things, but one thing he wasn't was a promise breaker (was that the word?).**

**Drake had forced him to promise that he wouldn't tell anyone (especially not Bruce) about the meta human until he gave permission. He normally would've simply bet (with himself, of course) how long it would be before Drake inevitably asked for help.** **But he couldn't deny that even a single meta human could be exponentially more dangerous than most hardened criminals, whether the metas themselves were criminals or not. Drake was stupid to do this on his own when he didn't even know** **what kind of meta abilities he was dealing with.**

**Was Damian worried? Of course not. He could care less if Drake were killed. But it would devastate Grayson, Brown, Kain, his father, Gordon...the list went on.**

**He chose to ignore the sharp twinge in his stomach at the thought of Drake being killed because of a stupid promise. But...** **Damian had promised Drake he wouldn't tell anyone else about the meta human, and he wouldn't.**

**But he had made no such promise as to staying out of the investigation himself.**

**Only to keep Drake from getting his dumb ass killed, of course.**

_Tim was already creating an excessively secure firewall around Roy's investigation file. He knew it wasn't needed. Hell, even_ Bruce _couldn't always hack his way through Tim's security measures._ _But this was important to him. Why, though? This wasn't his first time investigating a meta human, or facing one. But it_ was _the first time he'd done either of these things alone (at any rate, he never normally went so far out of his way to isolate the investigation only to himself)._ _No matter what Dick said to him, Tim had a lot of things to prove, just as much to Bruce as to himself. One of them now being that he could handle this on his own._

_His cell phone rang for the fourth time in the last hour, and Tim didn't know if he wanted to roll his eyes or smile. Who knew Kryptonians could worry so much? He answered his phone on the third or fourth ring._

_"I'm kind of busy, Kon. What is it?"_ He asked.

 _"Good talking to you again too, Tim." Conner replied. "We're just worried about you. We hadn't heard from you since yesterday."_ _Tim winced. He had meant to call last night, but he had so much work to take care of..._

 _"Sorry about that, Kon. I'm glad to hear from you, but don't worry so much. You can hear my heartbeat, after all. And if I need help, I just say the word."_ The word _being Conner's name in any tone other than a happy one. "Now, as long as you have nothing important to say, I'm working." He hated how much of an ass he sounded like. Conner was his best friend, his closest friend, but sometimes he felt that all he was doing was pushing the Kryptonian away._

_But as always, Conner understood, and Tim thanked whoever was up there for that._ _"Go ahead then, Tim. Just know that I'm here any time you need me, okay? Even if you don't think it's important."_

_"I know, Kon..."_

_"See you soon." Tim waited for Conner to hang up before he did. Then he sighed and kept working on the firewall._

Bruce knew Damian was up to something. It wasn't hard. His son may be skilled, but Bruce knew all of his boys well.

But what exactly was it? He was trying to figure that out. He knew Damian would never tell him unless he thought it to be absolutely necessary. Which made figuring out what was going on all the more difficult.

He could try to grill Damian for information during patrol, but his son would excuse it as unnecessary distraction, which Bruce didn't disagree with. Maybe it had something to do with one of the other boys? He doubted it.

Dick would go behind Damian's back to tell him, and Jason hadn't come around in awhile. But then...

Then there was Tim. He and Damian still got into arguments almost regularly, but they got along much better than they used to, and made excellent 'partners in crime', as it were.

They had more in common than either would admit, which made Bruce both infuriated and proud.

Because they got it from him, for the most part.

**He knew his father suspected something.**

**It was painfully obvious, but that just meant that Bruce was making no attempt to hide it. Damian knew it was only a matter of time before he found out himself.**

**But he and Drake could still delay him. No doubt he had already made wall after wall of security over any files he may have created about the meta human in question. Bruce would eventually break through them, but it would take a little while.**

**Until then, Damian needed to find out where the meta human lived so he could observe as Drake did. Whether the former Robin knew about it or not.**

_That night, Tim was crouching on the roof of the building across the street from Roy's, waiting for him to leave. All he could really do until then was hope Bruce and Damian (or worse, Jason) wouldn't pass by and see him._

_And if Roy didn't come out, Tim would just try tomorrow night. He could wait as long as he had to._

_It was roughly ten at night when he saw the door open. Roy slipped out, turned, and locked the door behind him before looking around and walking down the street, pulling his hood up over his head._

_This_ definitely _interested Tim. Where was he going? Staying on the rooftops, he followed Roy. He kept enough distance to be unnoticed, but remained close enough not to lose sight of him._

Roy had most of his cash in his pocket. He needed to buy a few things from the store a couple of blocks away, for Evelyn if nobody else. It would be hard without electricity, but she'd probably know how to better manage that.

He walked into the grocery store and looked around, wondering what to buy. Preferably canned foods, maybe snacks like crackers or bread.

He liked bread on its own, provided it was a brand he liked. Anyway, as he walked down an aisle, he saw a young man in about his early twenties standing in the middle of it, talking to a woman a few years younger than him. The girl noticed him and waved with a friendly smile. Roy waved back with a small smile in return and kept looking. But he couldn't find the right brand (he'd kind of drilled it into his own head that if he didn't recognize the brand, it was probably crappy. Biased, certainly, but he didn't exactly have time to spare for experimenting brands).

"Need any help?" Roy looked over and saw the young man looking down at him.

"Uh, yeah. I'd appreciate it." He replied, looking back at the different breads. "It's kind of silly, though."

"What is it?" The girl, possibly the guy's sister, asked. Roy bit his lip, feeling his face go a little red from embarrassment.

"I, uh...hate buying different brands, but I can't find the one I usually buy..." The girl laughed a bit.

"I hate that too. What's your brand?" Relief flooded through Roy as he sighed and told her. She helped him search a bit, then looked up. "Oh. There it is." He looked up too.

"The top fricking shelf." Roy groaned. "Of _course."_ He (being 5'5) wouldn't be able to reach that easily. Just as he started to stand on his tip toes, the guy grabbed it for him. Roy took it with a smile. "Thanks!"

"No problem." The guy smiled. "Need anything else?"

_Tim sat on the edge of the store's rooftop. Now that he'd have Roy in a public place, he could probably talk to him without him running away or using his powers._

_Of course, if he_ did _use them, it'd be a big bonus._

**Damian had managed to break away from Bruce and was silently watching the store (he'd followed Drake) from the shadow of a nearby building.**

**If he focused, he could see the meta human talking to two civilians, assuming they weren't friends of his already. Most likely not.**

When Roy and the two (brother and sister after all, Trey and Mallory) who had helped him were done, they walked to the register with him. As they walked and made mostly small talk, Roy saw two more people walk into the store. A large, muscular man and a shorter, slightly thinner one.

Alarms went off in his head when he noticed how much black they were wearing. Black sweaters, black hats, black pants, black shoes...all raised red flags. Then he noticed two things that turned the solid red flag to red with a black square in the center.

They also had black sunglasses on, and he knew what a gun was shaped like in a pocket.

**Damian had known the two men that walked into the store were up to something, but the chance that they weren't would both reveal him to Drake and draw unwanted attention.**

**Well, and it was always shocking (for some reason) to find Robin without Batman nearby. Damian's gaze zeroed in on Drake.**

_Tim had a seriously bad feeling about this, but he needed to get Roy alone, and questioning/arresting two men that haven't committed a crime (yet) inside the store would scare the meta human away._

_So he waited, and the feeling only got worse._

Mallory and Trey noticed the men a moment later and went silent as well, and Roy knew the same alarms were going off in their heads.

Forcing himself not to freak out, he walked up to the register.

"Hello, how're you tonight?" The cashier, a girl a few years older than him, asked.

"Good..." He could feel his voice shaking. Looking over at the men for a second, he looked back to her. "Call the police..." He whispered. She looked confused.

"What?" She looked over at the men too and stiffened, eyes widening. Roy turned just as the larger man pulled his handgun from his pocket, pointing it right at the cashier.

"Everything in the register." He growled, then cocked the gun. " _Now._ "

Then the doors slid open.


	7. Meta Gene

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, poor Roy just can't catch a break, can he? XD

Everything happened almost too fast to track for Roy. He cried out and covered his ears as the gun fired, then he heard the man yell in pain and drop the gun. By the time he looked over, Robin had already pinned the first man down and handcuffed him. Red Robin was fighting the other man, and had him on the ground before he could even reach for his own gun.

Trey, Mallory, and the cashier stared in both shock and amazement, but Roy had only one thought on his mind: _I have to get out_ _of here._

Before he could move, Red Robin looked straight at him.

"Elroy O'Hara, you're wanted for questioning."

"Like _Hell_ I am." Roy bit back. "I have shit I need to do, if you don't mind." He dropped everything he'd gotten on the checkout counter. "Pardon, I'm apparently wanted for questioning. I'll be back some other day. Have a nice night." He walked out of the store, rolling his eyes as his face began to redden in both anger and embarrassment. The doors opened behind him.

"Roy, I'd appreciate it if you would cooperate." He turned to face Red Robin.

"I'd like for you to leave me the Hell alone. Neither's happened, so cry me a river."

"We're not here so you can just refuse us and walk away." Robin snapped. "So either answer Red Robin's questions willingly, or I'll knock you out, drag you into an abandoned building, and _force_ you to!" There wasn't a single word spoken from the sidekick's mouth that didn't piss Roy off.

"Just _try_ to lay a hand on me!" He replied, turning to face the (slightly) shorter boy. "I dare you."

"Robin, cut it out." Red Robin interrupted. "I can handle this. Go before Batman gets angry or freaks out."

"I don't take orders from _you._ " Robin growled quietly. But he shot his grappling hook to another building and let it swiftly pull him over and up on the roof. Then he was gone.

"Sorry about that, Roy." The brunet scowled.

"Don't talk to me as if we're _friends._ " He responded contemptuously. Red Robin sighed.

"Would you _please_ just-"

"You look exhausted. Are you all right?" At first he had just been changing the subject on purpose, but it was true. He had just noticed it, but over the past couple of times he'd met Red Robin, his posture was more and more...well, tired. Roy didn't know how to explain it, even to himself.

And he looked kind of jumpy. A car passed by them on the road and his gaze snapped over to it as if he expected a gun to point out of the window.

"I'm _fine._ Can we just-"

"Yeah, okay." He cut the vigilante off again. "Here, or at my house?"

_Tim had to say, it was jarring to see the spiteful teen in front of him to switch from being an angry smartass to agreeable and concerned. He was speaking with a much softer tone now, and it didn't take long (maybe half a second) to realize why: he felt guilty._

_He really thought Tim not sleeping for over 72 hours was his fault._

_It was almost funny. Tim was operating on his_ regular _sleep schedule lately. He slept for four hours every few nights, that was enough._ _...as long as he had plenty of coffee, anyway._

_"Uh...your house." He replied, walking in the building's direction._

_"The apartment complex. Not where my parents live." Roy said behind him. Tim nodded and slightly changed his direction._

_He was kind of glad he wouldn't have to meet Roy's parents. It would've been hard to keep from chewing them out._

_When they finally got there, Roy looked at him, his expression unreadable before he fished a key out of his pocket and unlocked the door, walking in._

"Fáilte go dtí mo bhaile. _" Roy said to him with a small smile. "Welcome to my home. I would've given you a welcome last time you paid a visit, but you kind of broke in."_

_"Yeah, I really need to break that habit." Tim replied with mild sarcasm. The corners of Roy's mouth twitched upwards, and he turned to face him._

_"Alright, I'm listening. Ask away."_

Roy shifted from foot to foot nervously as Red Robin spoke.

"What does your meta-gene allow you to do?" _Meta what?_

"What in the world is that?" Roy asked, frowning. Red Robin looked past him, then lead Roy to the front desk, where he sat on the desk.

"Sit down. This might take a bit." Roy stared for a few seconds, then sat by the vigilante. "The meta-gene is a genetic anomaly that only occurs in about twelve percent of the world's population." Red Robin explained. "It can be passed down through heredity, or it can be spontaneous. For example, you've heard of Black Canary?"

"Yeah, of course." Roy replied. He'd begun to slightly swing his legs off the desk without noticing.

"Her Canary Cry is a result of a spontaneous meta-gene. Around ninety-nine percent of meta humans have mundane powers, such as foretelling the future a few seconds or minutes ahead, maybe weak telekinesis. The other one percent...Black Canary falls into that category." Roy listened with rapt attention, then it dawned on him. His legs stopped swinging.

"You think I have the meta-gene."

"You tell me. _Do_ you have an ability that nobody else you know has? Do your parents have a similar ability?" Roy stayed silent as he fought an internal battle.

He wanted to trust Red Robin. He really did. But _could_ he? He had no earthly idea. All he could think of was all the places he might be sent for having such an ability. Some government lab to test how he uses his vaporization ability? A containment facility for meta humans?

Needless to say, his paranoia quickly won out.

"No." He lied, looking right into Red Robin's eyes to make it more convincing that he was telling the truth. It was easy to do, with the white lenses in the hood. Red Robin stared at him silently before slowly nodding.

"Okay. Thanks anyway, Roy." He slid off of the desk and began to leave, then turned and placed something small and round into Roy's hand. He looked at it.

It was a silver disk, about the diameter of a nickel, but around three centimeters thick with a dark red button on it.

"If you're ever in any trouble, press that and try to hold out. I _will_ come to help." And with that, Red Robin left the building, leaving Roy to his thoughts.

_He had to say, he was disappointed. Roy had lied right to his face. It was obvious._

_When he'd said no, he had looked Tim right in the eyes. Smart, but he hadn't looked him in the eyes any other time. He'd actively thought it out._

_Then there was the tracker glitching out at random intervals. Roy clearly had some sort of meta human ability; for one reason or another, he refused to reveal what it was. Maybe fear? Maybe he didn't trust Tim_?

_Either way, all he could do for now was continue his research and hope that Roy would use the emergency beacon if he needed to._

_His communicator crackled to life in his ear, pulling him out of his thoughts._

_"Hey, Red Robin." Dick's voice resounded from the earpiece. Tim sighed._

_"Nightwing, long time no see. What do you want?" He couldn't keep out the slightly snappy tone from his voice. "I'm kind of busy."_

_"Batman said you and Robin are up to something." Dick sounded stern, like a parent scolding a child, and a burst of anger ignited in Tim's chest. "Not that I don't trust you both, but taking on a villain without Batman's help is-"_

_"How about you butt out?" Tim cut him off. "God forbid you call to ask how I'm doing or to announce a visit." The words were made to cut, and it was all too easy to use that on Dick._

_"...I'm just trying to look out for both of you. If you need help, there's no shame in asking for it. You need to know that."_

_"Oh, for once in your life, spare me the lecture! In case you haven't noticed, I'm not Robin anymore!" Tim tugged the communicator out of his ear, walking the rest of the way to his nearby safehouse with it clutched tightly in his fist._

_He was being immature and childish, he knew that. But he'd already started this case alone and he was going to finish it, Bruce and Dick's snooping be damned._

_So he ignored the twinge of guilt in his stomach, pushed away the thoughts asking him why he lost his temper like that, and made his way to one of his safehouses._

Roy had no idea how long he just sat there, turning the disc over and over in his hand, inspecting it. No brand name (figured, but somehow it still kind of bothered him), no initials, no insignia of any kind...this thing didn't seem to have any way to possibly be traced back to Red Robin.

He still wasn't sure he could trust Red Robin. Hero or not, people changed, often for the worse. His own parents had been his heroes for a long time, hadn't they? And look at them now.

Even so, as he stared down at the small red button in the middle of the disc, he remembered Red Robin's final words.

'If you're ever in any trouble, press that and try to hold out. I _will_ come to help'. A warm feeling spread through Roy's chest, one he hadn't felt in a long time.

"He trusts me..." He whispered with a smile.

Probably not much, if he really did at all. But the thought that he might, or that he trusted Roy enough to give him this, brought a smile to the teenager's face.

He slept better that night than he had in years.


	8. Sample

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fall Break continues to elude me ;-;

**_It was annoying, how often Roy had visitors over. Twice too many, honestly._ **

**_And he was running out of money. It'd been a week since Red Robin asked about Roy's meta-gene, and the brunet had since gone to a grocery store (again) and spent half of his money. On canned food and bread._ **

**_He'd briefly wondered why Roy hadn't bought anything else for sandwiches, but hadn't been kept in the dark for long before he witnessed the other boy eating a slice on its own._ ** _To each their own, I suppose._

**_He would often share with Evelyn when she was hungry. She never asked, either. Roy simply gave her food, and she either would or wouldn't eat it. If she didn't, she left it for him to sneak down and grab when Roy was gone._ **

**_Roy once came home with a bar of chocolate. He offered half of it to Evelyn, who in turn left half of her piece for him. He'd gone up to the top floor to eat it, so the effects wouldn't be heard easily._ **

_**Chocate really made him weird when he ate it.** But I digress._

**_It wouldn't be long before they were out of money. And he had no idea what Roy would do then._ **

_Tim hadn't heard from Roy since he had given the meta human the beacon, and the brunet never used it. The tracker rarely glitched out anymore._

_Whatever Roy could do, he was careful not to use it in public._

_Whenever he could, he watched Roy and followed him, taking photos every once in awhile when the meta human stopped at specific locations._

_It had made the news now that Roy was missing. His parents weren't interviewed, of course. They wouldn't be able to fake being sad about it if they tried._ They just miss their punching bag, _Tim thought bitterly as he sorted through public files for anything else on Roy._

_He also hadn't heard anything from Bruce, Damian, or Dick since that night. He'd gone too far when he blew up at Dick. If they didn't think Tim had a personal vendetta for what's going on before, they most certainly did now._

_But that wasn't his problem. He could apologize or whatever when this case closed. Besides, he had better things to do than think about the repercussions of the argument. He'd just found something._

_Roy's blood type wasn't available in his medical records. He'd never taken a blood test. Why was that?_

_He'd have to visit again soon._

**Damian was pissed at a lot of people today.**

**He was pissed off at Drake for upsetting Grayson, for starters. If he couldn't even control his temper, how did he expect to...okay, to be fair, he didn't have the best track record of biting his tongue either. And based on what exactly was said, this anger had been building for a while.**

**But why couldn't Drake have taken out his anger on Damian? He would've been able to handle it, and 'help' Drake vent the anger by fighting. But Grayson wasn't like that at all. Not to people he trusted.**

**Which lead to the other reason he was pissed: Grayson kept looking at him with those Goddamned** **_puppy eyes_!**

**"I don't know what you're talking about, Grayson." He said for the millionth time as he did his homework. "I'm busy, if you don't mind." It was actually easy, but he was taking a long time on purpose so he could have some peace and quiet.**

**Something he most certainly was _not_ going to get until Grayson got a satisfactory answer out of him, which wouldn't happen soon.**

**"Please, Damian!" Grayson repeated ( _for the billionth time)._ "I know you're in on whatever Tim's doing! I just want to help him!"**

**"He doesn't _want_ your help. He barely managed to ask for _mine._ And besides, he's kept me in the dark about it as well."** **That wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't the truth either. He _wasn't_ really in the dark about it, but Tim refused to tell him anything crucial.**

**"Maybe he doesn't want it, but that doesn't mean that he won't _need_ it!"**

**"You're simply upset because he's been bottling up anger about you replacing him with me and you had no idea until now that he never truly forgived you for it." Damian replied sharply. "Putting aside that it was the best decision you could've made, you somehow never thought to tell him about it until I had already donned the uniform. And don't get me _started_ on how you _still_ haven't acknowledged that he isn't insane."**

**Grayson was silent. Damian kept it perfectly hidden, but was worried he may have been a bit _too_ blunt.**

**They were an _incredibly_ dysfunctional family, weren't they?**

**_Better than Mother and Grandfather, at least...somewhat._ **

**"Dami..."**

**"Please do not call me that."**

**"I just want to help him..."**

**"Yes, because he'll appreciate you doubting his abilities." That was hypocratic of him, given _he_ doubted Drake's abilities (mostly due to the meta human's endless plethora of possible dangerous powers), but it would bother Drake more if Grayson showed such doubts.**

**"I'd be doing this if _you_ were in Tim's shoes too, Damian." Grayson said sternly behind him. "Or if it was Jason, or Cass, or Stephanie."**

**"...I. Don't. Know. Anything."**

**This was trying his patience, but he kept his promises.**

**The irony that he was protecting _Drake_ of all people so resolutely irked him even more.**

**"I can figure this out without your help, Damian, we both know that." Grayson stated confidently, most likely because he knew he was right. "But your help will just make sure Tim stays safe."**

**"I wish you the best of luck." Damian replied after a pause. Silence for a few seconds, and then he heard Grayson's footsteps recede out of the room.**

Roy had no idea what he was supposed to do now. He had no money left back at his parents' house. All of his savings, or at least, what was left of them, were in his hand.

"Twenty freaking dollars..." He muttered. It wasn't so bad in itself, given how long he'd been here, but it was _crippling_ when he remembered that he'd started out with one hundred.

What could he do? Getting a job was too risky, given that he was now a runaway people were supposed to be searching for. Getting a night shift job would be a little less so, but he wasn't sure he'd be able to handle changing his sleeping pattern so drastically. Plus, he'd still have to get the job during the day, and an _interview_ face to face was an almost guaranteed way to get caught.

This was just too perfect, wasn't it?

Nervously, he took a slice of bread from the bag and started nibbling on it just as Evelyn walked out from her room. Without looking, he grabbed another piece and held it out towards her. She took it gently and sat in a corner against the wall, eating with him in silence.

It was nice. They hardly had conversations, but having someone else around constantly kept him grounded and calm.

The doorknob jiggled, and then someone knocked on it. Roy locked eyes with Evelyn, then he stood and approached the door, unlocking it. As it swung open, he smiled.

"Hey Red Robin. Nice to see you again."

_Tim hadn't exactly been expecting a warm welcome when the door opened._ _The fact that he actually got one was jarring._

_"Uh, hello. Mind if I come in? I have a...well, a favor to ask." Roy's smile wavered a bit, but he nodded and stepped back from the doorway. Tim walked in and paused when he saw the elderly woman sitting nearby. She gave him a single glance, then continued eating a...a slice of bread?_

_Focusing back on why he was here, he turned to face Roy as the brunet closed and locked the front door._

_"What do you need?" He asked._ _Tim looked him in the eyes and hoped Roy would say yes as he spoke._

_"I need a sample of your blood."_

_Silence. Ten seconds of complete silence, during which Roy stared at him blankly. Then it was over._ _"Um...okay?"_


	9. He Cried

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fall Break's probably started for me by the time I post this. I dunno XD

Roy looked at his arm where Red Robin had bandaged it, resisting the urge to rub at the gauze wrapped skin. Then he looked at the small plastic vial of blood just as the vigilante pocketed it in one of the pouches latched around his waist.

"Thanks." He said. Roy looked at him.

"What exactly do you need this for, anyway? I'd appreciate it if this doesn't become that show where he screams that he's not the father." _Although it_ would _be a relief if Papa wasn't your real dad._ He thought to himself. Red Robin cracked a small smile.

"It won't. This is just to make sure you're healthy." He replied. "I'd better get going. Stay safe, okay?"

"Yeah." Roy replied as Red Robin left. "You too..."

_That had been easier than he thought it would be. Roy was seriously self-contradictory._

_He refused to tell Tim he was a meta human, but gave him one of the only surefire ways to prove that he had the gene._

_Maybe he had attachment issues. That could be a side effect of abuse from parents. Emotional, if he remembered correctly._ _Or maybe he just didn't think that Tim would check for the gene. That was the_ only _reason he had the blood, really._

_Well, that and...to make sure he didn't have anything wrong with him..._

_He knew his dad abused him physically._

_But what about sexually? He doubted it, but wanted to make sure. And even with the blood sample to check for an STD, it could come up negative and he still may have done it._

_He didn't want to force using a rape kit on Roy. Besides, if it hadn't happened in a long time, there may be no physical evidence._

_Only time would tell._

**Damian was starting to get worried. Just a little bit.**

**Grayson was _obsessed_ with finding out what Drake was hiding. It wasn't hard to see the bags under his eyes from lack of sleep. He was genuinely Hell bent on uncovering Drake's secret. As if it were some huge villain conspiracy rather than Drake just wanting to do an independent investigation, as Alfred and Bruce were telling him.**

**As if Bruce weren't worried as well. He was just better at hiding it. Much better.**

**It was ridiculous, all the fuss. Why couldn't they just respect that Drake wanted to be alone?** **He'd be able to solve it soon, and then everything would be as it were before.**

**But that wasn't how** **this family worked. They would go on until they figured out exactly was going on, and what to do about it.**

**For now, all Damian could do was keep his promise.**

That night, Roy was taking a walk when he passed by a store. One of those stores that sell TVs and have several on display through a window, each of them on the same channel.

It was on the news, and the headline at the bottom read _East Gotham Teen Missing._ Then, under it, _Parents Claim He Ran Away._ Roy felt nervous, but still rolled his eyes.

"I'm sure they're _so worried._ " He muttered mockingly.

"Gotham City police claim that they've found another lead in finding seventeen-year-old Elroy O'Hara, who ran away from home just last week." Said the newscaster, a middle-aged man with coffee brown skin. The woman next to him, a younger blonde, spoke next.

"That's right, James. Three witnesses claim he was in a store with them when a robbery was attempted. Luckily, vigilantes Robin and Red Robin incapacitated and handcuffed the men before police arrived." The screen transitioned to Mallory being interviewed.

"We saw him looking for bread in the store and helped him find his favorite brand. He saw the men walk in and tried to warn the cashier. When Robin and Red Robin took care of it, they told him they wanted to question him. He just dropped everything, literally, and left the store." She stated. It then went to Trey.

"I watched him outside of the store and Red Robin led him off somewhere. We haven't seen him since." Back to the newscasters.

"Gotham PD checked the security camera footage for that night and confirmed the witnesses' story. As you can see here," He saw slightly grainy camera footage of him with Trey and Mallory after the robbery. "Elroy spoke briefly to the vigilantes before rushing out of the store, with them following. Gotham PD has found no other leads at this time, leaving his parents to wait for their son to return home."

Roy shook his head and scoffed as he turned around and headed back to the apartment. He felt too sick to keep walking.

_Tim hadn't gotten very far into his work when the phone rang._ _He answered it without looking._

_"This has something to do with that runaway kid, doesn't it?" Dick asked, and Tim rolled his eyes._

_"I'm busy, Dick. If you_ need _anything, leave a message and I'll get back to you later." He hung up. As soon as he put the phone down, he ran a hand through his hair with a deep sigh, grimacing when his too long bangs flopped into his eyes. He brushed them aside and kept working._

_When the phone rang again an hour later, he actually checked the number. It was a payphone number. Probably Dick. He groaned and answered it. "Dick, I'm really-"_

_"Is this Timothy Wayne...?" A familiar voice asked timidly. Roy?_

_"Yes. Can I help you?"_

_"I..._ _I need your help. Can we meet? At your earliest convenience, I mean." Why would Roy want to meet him? He didn't know his identity, that Tim knew for a fact._

_So what was going on? "Of course. I'll be free in an hour. Where would you like to meet?"_

_"Gotham Bridge. The big one that looks like a depressing version of Golden Gate Bridge. Thank you." Roy hung up. Tim put the phone down and stared at it for a few seconds before resuming his work._

Roy knew this was stupid. Why would Timothy Wayne help him, anyway? He co-owned one of the biggest corporations in the world! It's not like bribery would help, as if he _had_ enough money to consider taking for a favor.

Roy had to grin as he wondered if maybe it'd take a turn for the 50 Shades type business, and laughed aloud.

"Yeah, right..." He muttered, still giggling when he hailed a cab. Then he stopped.

Did he have enough money for this? A quick feel into his pocket confirmed that no, he didn't. Twenty dollars, still. _Damn it, I didn't want to do this without paying..._

He looked around to make sure nobody was looking, then counted to five.

He hadn't really had a look at the cabbie, so the moment he felt his hair growing, his chest expanding, and... _something else_ disappear, he almost had a freak out, which nearly had his grip on the host slip.

But he managed to maintain it and a wry smile grew on his face. "Well, at least now I know what being a girl feels like." He said in a feminine voice, then paused. "Damn, I'm already uncomfortable." But then he drove, and played Pretend again.

He (she) couldn't wait until his (her) shift was over, he (she) was meeting some girl friends at that new Italian restaurant for one of their birthdays.

When he got to the bridge, he unpossessed her and solidified, then looked at her. "Sorry, catch me another time and I'll pay. Oh, and tell Rachel happy birthday for me!" Without waiting for a response, he turned and jogged across the bridge. Then he sat by the railing and waited.

It hadn't been long since he hung up the phone, so he'd probably be here for awhile. That was fine. He could wait. As he did, he began to wonder what he would do as far as money went, especially if what he was planning to ask Timothy went south for the Winter.

He wasn't religious. He'd stopped believing once he learned in school just how bad people in the world had it. That was around the time that the abuse began.

 _If there_ is _a God...he sure likes to just let people suffer..._ He didn't realize that he was crying until the warm, salty tears touched his lips. _Hell of a time to cry, Roy._ He thought.

But then he couldn't stop, and the silent tears became gut-wrenching sobs.

He cried for himself. He cried for his parents. He cried for everyone in the world that suffered.

And he cried for the cabbie's friend Rachel, who had ovarian cancer.

_Tim hadn't expected to see Roy asleep at the bridge, but there he was. He knelt down in front of the teen and frowned._

_His eyes were a little puffy, and the collar of his jacket was still a little damp. Tim sighed and sat by Roy, waiting for him to wake up. He didn't speak at all until then._

_Not even when the brunet slumped over against him._


	10. Who's Your Friend?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm definitely having Fall Break by now. I'm really glad this story's gotten the amount of views that it has. Thanks everyone!

_When Roy finally began to wake up, Tim waited patiently for him to realize he was leaning on a total stranger._

_It didn't take long. He suppressed a smile as the brunet leapt up and started stammering out apologies, his face reddening._

_"Why did you want to meet me here?" He asked, standing up. Roy stared at him for a few seconds, as if weighing his options, and then spoke._

_"I need you_ _to..." He trailed off and bit his lip nervously._

Roy wanted to just say 'nevermind' and leave, but...he didn't want to waste Timothy's time.

As if he wasn't already. Timothy probably had enough time on his hands without doing random strangers favors...wait...

"Why did you agree to meet?" Roy asked, frowning a little. "You don't even know me."

"You sounded like you needed help." Timothy replied immediately. "What was I supposed to do, refuse?"

 _Yes,_ Roy wanted to say. _Yes, you were. I didn't expect you to actually say yes. You were supposed to refuse, and I'd find some other way._

But that just wasn't possible anymore. He only had twenty dollars left, he was _sick_ of canned food. And, though he loved it, he knew he couldn't survive on bread and water alone.

Speaking of water, he wanted a shower. Deodorant could only do so much for the smell, and his hair felt dead and greasy and just fucking _gross_ and Evelyn deserved a home too if he could find her one.

He glanced at Timothy, who looked a little confused, and realized he'd just spent almost a minute awkwardly silent.

But why the Hell had he called _Timothy Wayne_ of all people? He could've called anybody else!

No, actually. He couldn't have. He didn't _know_ anybody else. Of course, he didn't know Timothy either.

He didn't even know how he knew Timothy's phone number. It had just appeared in his head as he passed the payphone, so he dialed it in. And then he knew whose number it was as it rang, and he hadn't been able to hang up.

 _Well, fuck it._ He thought. _Risk nothing, gain nothing._

"I need your help. I, uh...you probably saw me on the news, if you watch it..." Timothy nodded. "And, I..." He shook his head. "I...I'm sorry I wasted your time." _What the Hell is wrong with you? Quit whining. You really think you've got it so bad? At least you're alive. At least you're living somewhere._

"You're Elroy, then?" Tim asked him. Snapped out of his thoughts, Roy nodded. "You don't want to go home?" Roy shook his head now. He couldn't trust himself to speak. "...do you at least have somewhere you've been living?" Roy stiffly and slowly nodded again. He wasn't going to show Timothy his home if the other teen asked. Too big of a risk. "You look like you haven't showered in a while..." Timothy muttered, as if to himself. Roy spoke at this.

"Oh, thanks for making me feel more self conscious about it." He said, humor luckily making itself known through the sarcasm. He wasn't the best at social interaction. Timothy cracked an almost unnoticeable smile.

"How about...I let you stay with me for awhile?"

"Uh...excuse me?" Roy asked, his eyes widened.

_Tim hadn't really thought about it until after he said it, but now he was committed to it. Roy had proven trustworthy more than once. And he could watch the kid for when he eventually used his ability._

_Besides, his chest felt tight when he looked at Roy. Like he couldn't breathe. This hadn't started until he knew about the abuse._

_It was anxiety. He had no clue how bad the abuse had really been._

_Tim and Jason didn't always see eye to eye, but they both had a soft spot for women and kids. In Tim's case,_ especially _kids._

_The fact that Roy was probably around his age wasn't relevant._

_Roy's expression was...odd. A mix of confusion, disbelief, and surprise. It was almost comical, but he didn't want to point that out._

_"I'm not joking, before you ask. And I won't call the police unless you want me to." Roy stared at him._

_"But...isn't it illegal to have a runaway live with you...?"_

_"Don't worry about that, okay? You'll be fine."_

_"But what about you? I don't want you to get in trouble just because of me..." Roy looked away as he said it, and anger sparked in Tim's stomach._

_He wanted to find Roy's parents and kick their asses._

_"I promise, it's okay." Tim smiled at him. "Come on. It isn't very far. Mind walking?" Roy stared at him, then slowly shook his head._

Okay, this was already way too surreal.

Roy. Was walking with _Timothy Wayne._ To said person's _house._ To temporarily _stay._

Holy freaking _Hell._

He didn't know what to say. _Thank you?_ _Sorry to trouble you?_ Fuck, _marry me?_

He cringed inwardly at how much his brain was screwing up, but he was an odd mixture of excited and nervous, and it was messing with his thought process.

"I...thank you, Mr Wayne..." He said quietly as they walked. _Way to make it awkward, Roy._

"Don't worry about it." Timothy replied. "Just call me Tim, okay?" Roy nodded, then realized Tim couldn't see since he was walking behind him.

"Okay..." He looked ahead and frowned.

_"Hey, Tim...isn't that your brother?" Roy asked him. Tim looked up ahead._

_There was Dick, walking towards them with that confident, almost cocky smirk._

_"Oh, damn..." Tim muttered._

_"What? You don't like him?" Roy asked, and Tim could feel the teen's eyes on him._

_"Not anymore." Tim replied coldly...but it was a lie. Before he could say anything else, Dick was right in front of them._

_"Hey Timmy." Dick said, smiling. Only his eyes betrayed how apprehensive he was. "Who's your friend?"_


	11. Not Human

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prepare for awkwardness to the effing extreme, guys XD

Roy just kind of stood there in awkward silence as Tim stared up at his brother...uh...which one was this again? Damn it, Bruce had too many sons with black hair and blue eyes!

Well, there was that one redhead, but he died, didn't he...and he does have a daughter that's blonde...but that's besides the point. This one was...uh...

Richard? Yeah, Richard Wayne! His name before that was Grayson. Assuming he didn't still use it. And everyone called him Dick.

Roy was _not_ immature enough to laugh at the name. But he _did_ find it weird.

Seriously, how do you get _Dick_ from _Richard_? **(AN: Just ask Starfire XD)** Really? Why not Richie, or something? Okay, not Richie. That sounded kinda white trashy.

His thoughts were interrupted by Tim nudging him and tilting his head towards Richard.

"What's your name, kiddo?" Richard asked with a handsome smile. _He must get a lot of girls._ Roy, without realizing it, smiled cynically. _Even nice guys that get a lot of girls have commitment issues. Wonder how many hearts he's broken?_

Of course, he said none of that out loud. He didn't want to hurt the guy's feelings.

"Isaiah Sanders." He lied without hesitation. That was the name of a friend of his from middle school. Luckily, he moved away. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Isaiah." Richard replied. "I'm Dick Grayson." Roy forced an amused grin onto his face, and Richard rolled his eyes as he returned the grin. "Trust me, kiddo. I've heard _all_ the jokes about my name." Out of Richard's view, Tim was staring at him in surprise.

_Wow. Roy was better at lying than Tim thought he'd be. He was even acting differently._

_Or...or_ was _he acting different? He most likely was. But...either way, Tim now wondered how Roy would be acting if he hadn't been abused. What had he been like then?_

_On the other hand, if Roy hadn't been abused, Tim most likely wouldn't have met him. Briefly, Tim wondered if there were even other Earths where Roy wasn't abused. Or where he was dead as a result of the abuse. Hell, there might be a Roy that was crass and rude instead of shy and reserved (if a little snarky)._

_For now at least, he'd go along with the lie. Roy may be good at deceiving on the fly, but it was much harder not to contradict yourself after telling an elaborate falsehood. He needed to be around for if that happened._

"Well, Isaiah." Richard said. "It was great to meet you. Mind if I talk to my little brother for a little while?" Before Roy could answer, Tim was speaking.

"Actually, we were a little busy. Call me later, Dick!" Tim grabbed his wrist and pulled him away, almost running.

"You're not going to answer the call, are you?" Roy asked when they were out of earshot.

"You're quick." Tim responded, a little bit sarcastically. Then he slowed down to just a walk. They were both silent for several minutes.

"He was nice..." Roy said, feeling awkward as he broke the silence.

"He's an inconsiderate ass under all that, trust me." Tim snapped. Roy stopped walking and stared at Tim. Tim stared back. "What?"

"...I always wanted a big brother." Roy said thoughtfully. "How about you don't take yours for granted, huh?"

"Listen to the runaway talk about taking things for granted." Tim replied...but he was smiling. And Roy didn't feel like it was an insult.

Tim was teasing him. " _Touche_." He smiled back a little, then dropped it. He still felt weird. Out of place.

"We'll be there soon, and you can take a shower." Tim gave him a quick once over before continuing. "I have some clothes that should fit you until we can wash those." Roy looked down at his clothes, as if he might be able to see what Tim was looking at, then nodded. "So, who's Isaiah?"

"An old friend of mine..." Tim smirked a little.

"You're a good liar, I'll give you that."

Roy wasn't sure how he was supposed to take that.

_**He didn't like this. Not at all. Roy had been gone for a few hours now. He was normally never gone that long. They weren't out of food, or water. There wasn't a heater, but the hotel walls were insulated so it probably wouldn't be necessary.** _

_**So where was Roy? The only person he could think to ask was Evelyn, but she was probably just as clueless as he was. She actually seemed fairly concerned for the boy.** _

_**He wasn't sure if he himself was more concerned for Roy's safety or Roy's usefulness. Yes, Roy seemed to be a genuinely good person. But if he wasn't around anymore (dead or otherwise), he would have to go out himself. And that was a result best avoided.** _

_**He hated interacting with others. So much about so many people in Gotham got on his nerves. And he could barely contain what he could do then.** _ _**As sick as it was, he liked finding people he really didn't like and twisting them, almost to the point of insanity, with his illusions. It was amusing at worst and absolutely mesmerizing at best.** _

_**And he also hated talking to people, but he may as well check.** _

_**"Any ideas on where he might be?" He asked Evelyn, his dark eyes trained on her. She didn't look at him from where she sat in the lobby.** _

_**"With a friend. He won't be back for awhile." She responded after a pause.** _

_**Weird. She hadn't seemed to know before when he didn't return. "You won't be able to hide forever." He looked at her, eyes narrowed.** _

_**"Excuse me?" This time she did look up at him. Her eyes were sharp and gleamed with something he couldn't identify. Even from a distance, he could see** _ **_that her eyes were black. Not dark brown, but_ black. _It was disturbing enough to make him look away from her._**

_**"You will not be able to hide that you live here as well forever. He's a smart child. And he has enough curiosity to kill ten cats. He'll find you eventually. What will you do then?"** _

_**For that, he didn't have an answer. So he turned towards the stairs and walked up them quickly.** _ _**But he could still see her black eyes when he blinked. Black as midnight...he came to a conclusion right then.** _

_**Evelyn wasn't some ordinary old homeless woman. Far from it.** _

_**She might not even be human.** _

Thinking on it now, Roy really should've at least had the foresight to take a pair of clothes with him.

Of course, to be fair, he'd had no idea he'd be in Tim Wayne's freaking _house_ an hour after talking to him. So here he was, wearing some of Tim's clothes and thanking God that they were at least the same height.

And he didn't even want to _think_ about how uncomfortable he was wearing someone else's...yeah. He shook his head a bit and looked at Tim from where he sat on the apartment's small couch. Tim was rummaging through some drawers. After a few minutes, he smiled and pulled out a pair of small scissors. What did he need those for? Suddenly, Roy remembered how long his hair was...

"Oh _Hell_ no." He said loudly. Tim looked at him with a knowing smile.

"I know, but you have to look different if you want to get a job without arousing suspicion. And one of the easiest things to notice about you is your hair." As Tim walked in, he paused and stared at Roy, who shifted uncomfortably. "Hm...yeah, you could pull off black pretty well. A subtle difference, but better than something bright, like blond or red." He pulled out a cell phone and began to dial someone's number.

_As Roy stared at him in confusion, Tim offered him a reassuring smile and pressed the call button. He waited for a few seconds. It picked up on the fourth ring._

_"The Hell do you want, Timmy?" A gruff, tired voice answered. He was sleeping late, huh? Tim wondered what he might be up to before answering._

_"Jason, I need to borrow some of your hair dye." Realization showed itself on Roy's face, and his tone was flat as he spoke._

_"Ah, fuck."_


	12. Famous Last Words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back from Fall Break, God help me. Math has already given me a headache DX

_"I hate you." Roy growled, pouting as Tim cut his hair. "I hate you so much right now." Tim just laughed._

_"I know. If you think this is bad, wait until you have to dye it." Roy stuck his tongue out and blew a raspberry in response. "Cut that out and hold still." As Tim began to cut more, he looked at Roy. "And stop pouting."_

_"I'm not pouting!" Roy then continued to pout and started muttering a creative string of swear words._

_"You sound like Damian. Straighten up, I'll have to cut more if it turns out uneven." Roy sighed and did as told. "Thanks." Tim was so focused on getting this just right that he didn't hear it at first when Roy spoke. "Sorry, repeat that?"_

_"Who's Jason?" Roy asked._

_"Family friend." He lied easily._

_"Why does he dye his hair?"_

_"He doesn't like the natural color."_

_"What color is it naturally?" Roy really liked asking questions...was he really this curious about Jason, or was he just trying to distract himself?_

_"Red. Sort of auburn, I guess."_

_"Awesome. Is his last name Todd?"_

_"No." Tim replied immediately. Jesus, this kid was outlandish. He'd heard that Jason died, hadn't he? Course, he'd be right to think Jason was alive, but he didn't need to know that._

_"Just wondering."_ _Roy looked around. "Kind of young to be living alone, aren't you?"_

_"I was emancipated."_

_"What does that mean?"_

_"Well...you've learned about the Emancipation Proclamation, right?"_

_"Yeah, of course. It freed African Americans from slavery."_

_"Exactly. If you're emancipated, you're considered an adult even if you're still technically a minor." Roy nodded a bit, his expression contemplative._

_"Okay...why would you want to be emancipated, though? I was taught to enjoy being a kid while it lasts."_

_"I had to grow up fast." Tim answered curtly, irritation sparking in him as he made the last snip with the scissors. Roy was being weirdly inquisitive with Tim Drake, but barely said two sentences to Red Robin. What was Roy_ really _like? Tim was becoming less and less sure that he knew._

_"That's too bad. I bet you were nicer back then." Roy said as Tim messed up his hair to get any cut bits to fall out. Tim paused._

_"...you think I'm mean, huh?" He asked, frowning._

_"No, but you're not very nice either."_

_"Kid, I'm letting you wear my clothes and helping you not get arrested for being a runaway."_

_"I know that. And I appreciate it. I don't know why you're doing it, but I doubt it's one hundred percent out of the want to just help me. Everybody has their own motive for everything they do to and for other people."_ _Roy replied, his tone flat. Tim stared down at him, unsure of how to respond. He finally decided to just change the subject._

 _"You look great."_ _He said quietly. Roy looked up at him, all of the cynicism he'd just exhibited gone. In its place was curiosity as he began to reach up and feel his hair, then dropped the hand to his lap before he could._ _If Tim wasn't mistaken, Roy was blushing._

_"Really? Can I see it?" He asked. Tim began to say yes when a loud knock on the door interrupted him._

Roy sat rather impatiently as Tim walked towards the door to answer it.

"Hey Jason, thanks for coming." He heard the teen say. A deep voice responded with just an irritated grunt, and then heavy footsteps made their way into the room.

This guy was fucking _huge._ That was the only word Roy could think of when he saw who must've been Jason. He was about six feet tall, and however much he weighed was all muscle, visible even beneath the brown leather jacket and black sweater he wore. His cold blue eyes met Roy's, and he spoke after what felt like an eternity. But it was directed towards Tim.

"Why does this kid need his hair dyed?" He asked. "I personally don't recommend it."

"Then why do _you_ do it?" Roy asked before he could stop himself. Jason looked at him, his expression just as cold as ever. In fact, he looked angry.

"Don't ask questions that aren't your business, kid." Roy's eyes narrowed.

"So it's _your_ business what my reasons for dyeing _my_ hair are?"

"It's my hair dye."

"It's my fucking hair! Are you going to give some to us, or not?!" He snapped. Jason and Tim stared at him. Embarrassment flooded through him, and he felt his face and ears burn red. "Stop staring at me!"

_Tim knew he should say something to placate Roy. But he wasn't sure what to say, and apparently (for once), neither did Jason._

_Roy's hair was blood red. Entirely. Tim almost expected to see rivulets of red liquid to come leaking down Roy's face, but fortunately no such thing happened. And his irises were red as well._

_If he didn't know Roy, he'd be afraid. He still didn't know Roy well (and God only knew what exactly the extent of whatever his powers were went to), but Tim was not afraid at all. But that didn't mean he wasn't cautious as he spoke._

_"Roy, please calm down." He said as calmly as he could. "I know you don't want to dye your hair, but you know that you need to." The red began to fade back to brown, but Roy still looked more inclined to killing somebody than he was to calm down. "Roy, listen to me. If you're caught, you'll be charged with running away. And after you get out of a juvenile detention center for it, you'll be sent right back with your parents. I don't want that, and I know you don't either. Please, just calm down and let me help you."_

_Roy stared at him, then the red slowly faded entirely from his hair and eyes._ _"Fine..." He muttered. "I'm sorry..." Tim nodded and looked at Jason just as the larger man began to drag him into the next room._

_"Who the Hell is that kid?" Jason asked him, his tone hushed so Roy wouldn't hear him._

_"I don't know what exactly his meta-gene does, but I'm working on it. As far as he knows, Tim Drake and Red Robin are two different people. If Dick or Bruce asks you about me or him, keep your mouth shut but your ears open and report back to me whatever they might tell you. Got it?" Jason looked anything but happy taking this order, but he nodded and handed Tim a box of black hair dye._

_"Just be careful, okay Timmy?" Then he turned and walked back to the front door without waiting for an answer. "See you around, kid." He said to Roy as he closed the door._

_"Bye..." Roy replied quietly just as Tim walked in with the hair dye box in hand. Roy eyed it nervously. "Have you ever dyed somebody's hair before?" Tim grinned._

_"Nope. But there's instructions on the box. How hard can it be?" Roy grimaced._

_"Famous last words."_

**_He'd been keeping more of an eye on Evelyn lately, to see who or what exactly she was. It hadn't gotten any results yet. She seemed just as normal as...well, as any other old homeless lady. More quiet than most of them, but the differences ended there._** ** _Well, along with her eyes turning fucking_** black. **_And she always seemed to know when he was watching her. It really bothered him. Eventually, he decided he'd use his special talent on her._**

**_But what exactly would he make...? Hm...an idea struck him as he watched her look at the door. But just as he began to create it, he realized why she was looking at the door: there were footsteps approaching it. As the knob turned, he cast an illusion in front of Evelyn, and she disappeared._ **

**_He ducked behind the stair banister just as he heard the door swing open._ **

**Damian wasn't sure _what_ he was searching for in this building. He doubted Elroy had anything important stashed anywhere. It definitely hadn't been because he was concerned. This was Drake's problem, he could deal with it himself...with his help to keep it a secret.**

**"Damian, why are you in here?" A familiar voice asked him. Welp, he fucked up on that job already.**

**"With all due respect, Grayson? It's not your business." He turned to face the man, his tone cold and his posture stiff. "So I would appreciate it if you would pull your nose out of it."** **Dick frowned.**

**"Now I _know_ that you're more involved in this than you told me. _Much_ more involved. Tell me what's going on, Damian!" He actually looked angry. Well, he'd have to deal with it. Damian forced the twisted feeling in his gut and stood his ground.**

**"Stay out of it, Grayson! He doesn't _need_ your help, and he sure as _Hell_ doesn't want it! Stop trying to handle everything he wants to do for him!"**

**"I'm not trying to handle it for him! I'm trying to make sure he knows what he's doing!"**

**"He's got a good forty IQ points on you, that's for damn sure! He knows what he's doing _far_ better than you would in his situation!" Damian snapped. Grayson stared down at him in shock.** **_Shit._ He'd hurt his feelings. _Damn. Damn, damn, damn!_ Before he could speak, Grayson did. His voice was quiet, and just a bit shaky.**

**"Fine, Dami. Tell him if he needs me, I'll be at the manor for he next few days..." He turned and left the building, walking quickly. Damian sighed.**

**"Damn it..."**

**He was seriously wondering if this was worth the trouble it was causing.**


	13. Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From here on, I'll try my best to make my chapters longer, at least 1,500 words.

Roy stared at himself in the mirror, grimacing a bit. He wanted to say that he hated how he looked, and he kind of did, but he also had to admit that it looked pretty good. He pulled off black hair pretty well. But the short hair he definitely hated with a passion.

"Don't give me that look." Tim said with a smile as he washed his hands. He'd accidentally spilled some dye on his hands earlier. "Your hair looks great." Roy stuck his tongue out. "Roy, I wouldn't tell you I liked it if I really didn't."

"Thanks, but I don't like it." He replied stubbornly. Tim laughed.

"Which part? The dye or the cut?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Don't tell me. You hate the haircut." Roy nodded furiously. "I figured you would." Tim dried his hands and looked at him. Roy had no idea why, but he felt nervous for some reason as those icy eyes met his. "It'll grow back eventually."

"I know _that,_ but that'll take too long." He let out an exasperated sigh and stared at his hair in the mirror again. "How often will I have to put more dye in?"

"The dye doesn't go into your skin, so as your hair grows, the brown will start to show more. And the black will fade eventually, or maybe wash out. I'm not sure." Roy raised an eyebrow.

"You didn't think to ask Jason for details?"

"He's not the patient type. Besides, we have the internet for questions like this." Tim told him as he threw away the dye box.

"Why didn't you look up videos or something on how to dye somebody's hair, then?" Tim froze where he stood.

"...damn..." He muttered. Roy laughed.

"It's fine, the dye looks nice." Tim faked a hurt look.

"Aww, but not the haircut?" Roy grinned.

"Definitely not."

"But I tried so hard to make it look good..." Roy stuck his tongue out with a short laugh.

"So, what exactly am I supposed to do at this point?"

"That's up to you, Roy." Tim looked him in the eyes the entire time he spoke. "What do _you_ want to do?" Roy stared at him. That was a good question.

What _did_ he want to do? Right now, tomorrow, a week down the road, a month, a year? What did _he_ want to do, to become? He found the answer within a few seconds of further thought. With his eyes downcast, unable to see Tim's face, he responded.

"I don't know..."

"...well, how about we find out?" Roy's head snapped up so fast that he felt his neck pop as his jade eyes met Tim's icy ones.

"Huh?"

_"Okay, so...how exactly is food supposed to help me figure out what I want to do next?" Roy asked him as they sat down in a booth._

_He'd brought the other teen to the closest restaurant in Gotham on the spur of the moment. Well, that and he'd heard Roy's stomach growl right before he made the decision._

_"You might be able to think better if you have some good food." Tim replied with a small smile. Roy looked uneasy as a small group of people walked by their booth, whispering to one another. "Relax, Roy. They're not talking about you." Roy gave him a look._

_"Yeah, they are. I'm some random, unknown guy having conversation with_ Timothy Wayne _at a restaurant..._ just the two of us. _" And he was probably right. If tabloid reporters saw them together, it'd bring a lot of unwanted attention._

_Suddenly, this didn't seem like such a good idea._

_But Roy looked different enough to not arouse much suspicion...probably. In fact, right now..._

_"You kind of look like Harry Potter." The words slipped from his mouth before he could stop them. Roy stared at him blankly before a smile broke out on his face. Then he picked up a straw from a cup of them and waved it a bit._

Wingardium Leviosa. _" He chanted, his voice deepening as he grinned jokingly. Tim had to grin back. Then, without warning, Roy thrusted the straw forwards and poked him in the nose with it. "Boop!" Tim stared at him, surprised, then smiled as Roy began to laugh._

_"You know, I think I like you better when you smile." Tim said. Roy looked surprised. His smile now looked more shy._

_"Ditto."_

**Damian had expected anything but what he saw when he looked through the restaurant window.**

**He didn't even know what compelled him to do that. Instinct, maybe? He couldn't be sure.**

**What was Drake _thinking_? If any reporters happened to see this, there'd be no end to the amount of things that would go badly!**

**Drake possibly dating a man could be relatively easily disproven. But what if someone noticed that it was Elroy O'Hara? Dyeing and cutting his hair could only go so far..**

**"Hey, brat." Todd's voice called out from behind him. Rolling his eyes, Damian turned to look up at the other male.**

**"Hello, Todd. Why are you here?" Todd shrugged and looked around, smirking.**

**"Thought I'd just hang around my favorite shithole excuse of a city. Helped Timmy out a little bit." Then Todd's eyes narrowed at the window. _Uh oh._ Damian turned around, thanking God that Drake and Elroy weren't doing anything that could spark a rumor. "Who's that with Timmy?"**

**"A new friend of his." Damian replied. "But you've met him already, haven't you?" Todd grunted, which Damian took to be an affirmative answer. A pause.**

**"He's wearing Timmy's clothes." Damian wanted to facepalm. Great, they were _screwed_ if other people noted that.**

**"Ugh, idiots. Imagine if that tart Vale got wind of this." He could just _feel_ Todd's infuriating grin behind him without looking.**

**"I think he's got a crush on Tim." Damian snorted.**

**"Elroy? I doubt that. What could possibly bring you to that conclusion?"**

**"Just a feeling. I mean, check out the way the kid looks at Tim." Damian looked at the pair in the restaurant. Sure, Elroy was smiling as he spoke, but so what?**

**"I don't see anything unusual." Todd just chuckled.**

**"You're too young, anyway. Or maybe you're just clueless. Pay more attention to his eyes." Damian's sigh of exasperation was loud and clear as he looked again. This time, he did notice it.**

**Elroy looked at Drake the way his father looked at...Catwoman.**

**"Oh, damn."**

_As their food was served, Tim spoke again to Roy. "Okay, so...you speak Gaelic, right?" Roy made a 'so-so' gesture._

_"If that's the Irish language, a little bit. I'm not fluent or anything, but I know a few words and phrases."_

_"Cool. Who taught you?" He'd already noticed Jason and Damian out the window, but didn't want to tell Roy. If the kid saw them, he might clam up._

_"My grandmother. She died when I was eight, though."_ _Roy actually seemed relaxed. Good._

_"Sorry to-" Roy shook his head._

_"Don't say that. It never feels sincere to me. You didn't know her. Why should you be sorry? You're not really sad about it, are you? It's a formality and nothing more." Tim stared at Roy._

_"Did_ you _love her? Do you miss her?" Roy nodded. "Then I_ am _sorry. I'm sorry that you'll never see her anymore. I'm sorry she's not here to keep teaching you the language. I'm sorry that she isn't here for you." Roy looked surprised. "If there's nothing else about me that you care to know, just know this: I don't lie based on petty formalities." Roy slowly smiled._

_"Then you won't mind if I ask you about yourself? You won't lie based on formality, right?" Tim nodded._

_"Go for it."_

_"Okay, um...any reason you brought me to this specific restaurant?" Tim smiled just as the waitress appeared and took their orders. Tim waited until she walked away before he answered._

_"It was the closest to my house." Tim replied. Roy laughed a little._

_"That sounds like something that I'd do." He looked up. "Uh...why're you helping me, and what do you want in return?"_

_"Because you look like you need help." He shook his head. "I don't need anything for helping you, Roy." Roy looked away at another table and smiled._

_"Are you my friend?" He asked. Tim frowned and opened his mouth to answer, but then they heard a loud noise, a hybrid between a hiss and an inhuman roar._

_"Killer Croc." Tim muttered, looking out the window. Jason and Damian were gone now. Tim stood up. "Stay here, okay Roy? I'll be back soon." He ran off before Roy could answer._

_So he never saw Roy leave the restaurant too a minute later._


	14. Out Of His Hands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be clear to everyone: this will not contain any slash pairings! That was never my intention, alright? Enjoy the chapter!

_As Tim made it to where he'd heard the roar, his Red Robin costume donned, he was greeted with the sight of Damian and Jason already fighting him. He'd expected that, but he hadn't expected to see Roy there too._

_He wasn't fighting, but he was watching from what was definitely_ not _a safe distance._

 _"Roy, get out of here!" He yelled, glaring at Jason. Jason was wearing his helmet, but Tim could_ feel _his scowl being returned._

 _"You think we haven't_ tried _to get him to leave? Kid's about as stubborn as you." Jason focused back on Croc just in time to dodge as_ _the reptilian mutant's large fist collided with the brick building wall behind Jason. With a mocking laugh, Jason attached a bomb to Croc's arm and rolled out of the way as he fired his handguns, detonating it._

_While Jason continued to shoot, Damian was landing a few good slashes with his katana, arguing with Roy after each blow was landed._

_"Red Robin!" Damian snapped. "Get Elroy out of here now before the damn kid gets killed!"_

_"I'm older than you, short stack!" Roy protested. With a sigh, Tim ran over to Roy and grabbed his arm._

_"You need to get somewhere safe, come on!" As he spoke, something seemed to click with Roy._

Tim _?" He whispered._

**Damian heard the name slip from Elroy's mouth as soon as he said it, and his grip around the katana handle tightened. Turning his head, he saw that Drake looked just as shocked.**

**_Of course._ Damian thought. _He's been with Drake all day, he'd at least notice a match to the voices._ Damian saw Croc charging towards him and barely had time to dodge. _Damn it, he's going to get us killed!_**

**"Roy, get away from here _now_! Get to Tim Drake's apartment, okay? He'll be there!"**

**"I'm _not_ leaving!" Roy yelled back. "I can help!"**

**"Kid, make this eady for us!" Todd called out, backing away quickly as he reloaded his pistols. "Get the Hell away from here before you get hurt!"**

Frustration rushed through Roy with every beat of his heart. They weren't listening to him! He looked at Red Robin. _Tim._ "Please, I can help you!" Tim stared at him with uncertainty for a moment, then set his jaw. That weird feeling sparked in Roy's stomach even as his anger grew when Tim shook his head.

"We can take care of this, just go to Drake's house! I'm going to call Nightwing anyway!" The frustration was slowly becoming anger.

"Just _listen_ for a second!" Roy covered his ears as Killer Croc roared and focused his eyes on he and Tim. _Oh Hell._

" _I'll rip out your guts and eat them!_ " He roared, charging at them. Red Hood shot at him rapidly, but Croc barely seemed affected.

"Not if I have anything to say about it..." Roy muttered. Somehow (he would later credit it to Tim not holding on tightly), Roy broke Tim's grip on his arm and ran towards Croc, taking a deep breath and holding it.

He counted to five, and then he and Croc were less than two yards apart.

He heard Tim yell his name.

 _Tim couldn't move. Could barely think. All he could do was stare in awe and shock as Roy_ evaporated _into a blood red cloud, and then seemed to fly_ inside _of Killer Croc._

_Croc's yellow eyes darkened to a deep crimson color, and the reptilian went from charging towards Tim to collapsed on the ground, roaring in agony with a voice that was and wasn't his own._

FUCK, IT HURTS _!" He bellowed, his voice mixed with Roy's as he writhed around on the ground. Fear shot through Tim like a blast from a gun, and he ran towards Croc._

_Then an arm encircled his waist and held him back._

_"Hold on, he might hit you!" Jason growled as he tightened his grip. Tim barely registered the voice and stared as Croc stopped struggling and slowly stood, his entire body trembling._

_"Do..." He began, panting heavily. "Do whatever you have to do to subdue him." Then they heard sirens approaching, and Killer Croc's gaze bored into Tim's, and he wasn't accustomed to the emotion he saw in them: fear. "Are they going to hurt me? If this gets much worse, I don't know if I can keep this up..."_

_"If what gets worse?" Damian asked._

_"The pain. I...I've never taken over a body like this, and it hurts to maintain it...if I lose focus..." He was interrupted as two people landed on either side of Tim and Jason; two people Tim had foolishly hoped wouldn't show up: Bruce and Dick._

_"Hood, what's going on?" Dick asked. Jason shook his head._

_"Your guess is as good as mine. This kid's something else."_

_"I hope that's a compliment..." Croc replied in that voice that was and wasn't his, his tone strained. "Because this hurts like Hell, and it would help me very much if you actually_ did _something about it."_

_Bruce was silent the entire time, and Tim didn't have to look to know that he was doing that 'right into your soul' stare. Croc met Bruce's gaze and shivered._

_But before he could speak, the police cars arrived. Tim opened his mouth to yell, but couldn't in time as one of the officers shot right at the back of Croc's head. The red ran out of Croc's eyes at the same time as the red smoke shot out of him, forming back into Roy._

_He and Croc hit the pavement, passed out, simultaneously._

**_He had no idea what to do._ **

**_He and Evelyn had been watching the entire time, hidden in the shadows with an illusion he cast. But what could they do to help?_ **

**_He couldn't deny the fear that gripped his heart as he saw Roy's expression of pain, even though he looked unconscious. Would he be okay?_ **

**_"He's safe with them, for now." Evelyn stated quietly, her eyes blackened once again before fading back into their normal color. That unsettled him to no end, but he managed to maintain eye contact this time._ **

**_"'For now'?" He asked. "We might have to intervene?" Evelyn looked like she had no clue, and yet completely sure of herself. It was odd._ **

**_"If you wish to have him back at his new home with us, then yes, we will. Eventually. Although it might be a better idea to move. All but two of them have been at our residence." He nodded._ **

**_"Then let's go." As they walked away, still hidden, he felt like he was leaving behind something important. But he shook the thoughts away and didn't let himself look back._ **

_Just a few minutes later, after Gotham PD began to transport Killer Croc to Arkham, Tim watched apprehensively as Dick and Jason helped a just barely conscious Roy walk, one of them on each side to support him._

_"Wh...where are we going...?" Roy mumbled, his words a little bit slurred. Tim began to speak, but Jason beat him to it._

_"The cave for now, kid. But you've got to stay awake, okay?" Roy said something unintelligible that might've been 'okay', but soon his head began to dip, his legs dragging a little. Dick shook him a bit._

_"C'mon Roy, stay with us. Uh...what's the capitol of-"_

_"I hate geography. I'm really bad at it..." Roy interrupted, sounding grumpy. Tim could bet that he was making a tired version of that pout he was doing after his haircut._

_Dick laughed. "Yeah, I don't care for it either. What's your favorite school subject, then?"_

_"Hm...science..." Roy muttered, his eyes closing. Dick shook him again._

_"Okay then, um...you're a junior, right?" Roy nodded. "Alright...uh..."_

_"What's the first step in DNA Replication?" Bruce asked from behind them. He'd been silent up until now, but Tim was thankful for him speaking._

_"Um...DNA Helicase separates the double helix into two strands..." Roy replied slowly._

_Bruce continued to ask questions rapidly to keep Roy awake. Tim was glad that Roy would be okay, but he was also anxious._

_From here on, what would happen to Roy was (for the most part) out of his hands._

_"Where's Tim...?" Roy asked quietly, sounding tired and scared. "Is he okay...?"_

_"I'm right behind you, Roy." Tim replied, smiling a bit. He could feel Bruce's gaze boring into him, but ignored it for now. "I'm okay."_

_"Oh...what about Robin and Red Hood...?"_

_"They're okay too. Red's helping you walk, and so is Nightwing." Jason sighed._

_"Kid, just worry about yourself right now." Roy just shook his head._

_"I don't want to worry about myself..." Tim stared at Roy, as did the others. Nobody had anything to say to that._

_So they kept walking._

_And Bruce kept asking Roy questions to keep him awake._


	15. What Can You Do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God, I'm sorry guys. I had no clue what to do with this chapter. I wrote it in too much of a rush and it was all filler. The ending is rushed, and it's not at my new wordcount requirement.
> 
> I'm just...I hate this chapter, and I feel like I let you guys down.
> 
> I'll try to do better this week.
> 
> Bye.

It hurt.

That's all Roy could really say about how it felt to possess Killer Croc. The guy being easily twice his height and over triple his weight was only part of it.

He'd _felt_ scales growing out over his skin. It was like the scene from that movie where the baby creature pops out of his chest, but slower and all over every inch of his skin.

He felt his teeth elongate and sharpen too, like he'd filed down all of them at once and ground against the nerves in them.

But the worst part of all? His _eyes._ Croc's eyes were reptilian as well, with slitted pupils. And Roy had to feel his own eyes conforming to that. He couldn't _describe_ how painful that was. It was a miracle that he kept his focus, and that was probably only because Croc (as his host) took half of the pain.

He couldn't imagine how it would've felt if all of the pain had gone to him.

He wasn't in pain, but he felt hot, tired, and sore, like he had a fever and had run a marathon. Nevertheless, he did his best to not make Nightwing and Red Hood have to carry his whole weight.

"Jesus, Kid." Red Hood said as Roy stumbled along between them. "You're light. When's the last time you ate?"

"Yesterday...me and Tim left the restaurant before our orders got there..."

"Why did you follow me out, anyway?" Tim asked, sounding a little angry. Roy slowly grinned and tried to laugh, but it sounded more like a fucking _giggle,_ which was embarrassing.

"Because I didn't want to be stuck with the check." Silence. Then Tim started laughing.

"Alright, that's actually a pretty good excuse."

"Not good enough for why he went right for Croc." Robin scoffed as he walked behind them. Roy rolled his eyes.

"Because I wanted to help. If any of you had _listened_ to me, you'd know that already." Roy tried to turn his head to look at Batman, but couldn't quite see him. "Why's the creepy one being so quiet?" Red Hood snorted.

"You get used to it, Kid. Creepy's part of his charm."

" _Charm_?" Roy repeated. He looked back at Tim. "He's kidding, right?" Tim just shook his head with a wry smile. "Wait, really? Damn..."

"Language." Nightwing scolded him.

"Hey, I'm seventeen! I can swear if I want!" Nightwing looked surprised.

"Seriously? But you're so small..."

"I'm the same height as Tim." Roy said flatly. Red Hood chuckled.

"Now you've had _two_ angsty teenagers pissed at you. This has to be a record, Dickiebird."

"Three angsty teens, counting you." Nightwing shot back.

"Ouch...wait, how old is he exactly?" Roy asked.

"Technically, he's in his early twenties."

"'Technically'?"

"It's a long story. Besides, we have other things to ask." Tim said. Roy looked back at him the best that he could.

"Like what?"

"What is it exactly that you can do?"

_It was like he'd flipped a switch. Roy now looked nervous, almost flat out scared, and he looked away._

_"I don't know what you're talking about, Tim. Be more specific."_ _Tim sighed. He really didn't want people to know about this, did he?_

 _"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Roy."_ _Roy didn't respond, or really show any sign that he'd heard._

_"I can walk now..." He said quietly. Dick and Jason shared a glance, then they both gently let go of him. Roy's knees almost buckled, but he didn't fall. After a second or two, he started walking. "There's nothing to talk about as far as what I can do. You saw everything that I can do with it."_

_"Are you sure about that?" Tim asked. Whether Roy was lying or really thought that was all he could do, he couldn't tell for sure._

_Roy really was a bit of a mystery. "Yes, I'm sure. Where are we going again?"_

_"The cave." Damian replied. Roy puzzled over this for a second._

_"The Batcave?"_

_"Nothing gets past you, does it?" Damian asked. Without missing a beat, Roy raised his middle finger towards Damian and kept speaking._

_"Why are we going to the Batcave?"_ _Everyone looked at Tim, as if to say 'your problem, not ours'. That sent his blood boiling (if they had thought that way the whole time they should have left him alone), and for once he let spite win out._

 _"We're not._ They _are, but you and me are headed back to my house."_

Everyone was staring at Tim as if he'd pulled the pin from a grenade.

"Kiddo, can we talk to you?" Nightwing asked. Before Tim could answer, the vigilante dragged him out of earshot.

That was all the time Roy needed. He was out of there moments later. He vaporized and flew away, towards his home.

When he finally got there, he didn't bother unlocking and opening the door. He flew right under the crack and froze as he saw him.

"Who the Hell are you?!"


	16. How Long?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, hopefully this chapter turns out better than the last one.

Roy stared at the tall, wiry man in front of him. He had brown hair that was greying at the sides, and he was wearing a ratty black coat. His blue eyes held a gentleness to them that almost made Roy relax. Almost.

"My name's Nathan. Are you Elroy?" The man asked in that scratchy, hoarse voice only smokers had.

"He is." Evelyn answered as she walked over, holding Roy's backpack. Wait, how did she get in his room? "You didn't lock the door." She handed it to him. "It has what's left of our food in it as well."

"Wait, what's going on?" Roy asked, frowning.

"Those friends of Batman's have drawn attention to this place. It's no longer safe to stay in. Nathan knows a place we can stay." She offered Roy a sly grin. Given her being homeless, Roy was surprised to see that her teeth were remarkably clean and healthy looking. "Though it's not quite as posh as here." Roy shook his head.

"That's fine. Do we have everything?" He asked with a small smile. Evelyn nodded and left. Roy noted that she was wearing a backpack as well, and it looked full to bursting. _It's probably full of blankets._ He reasoned, following her and Nathan outside.

**_That had been much easier than he thought, he mused as Roy shut the door. Evelyn had all of his belongings in that backpack, and Roy said nothing about it. Maybe he assumed it had something in it, like blankets or coats._ **

**_He waited about thirty seconds, as planned, and then slipped out of the building and looked around. He spotted Roy just as he turned a corner a block down. As silently as possible, he followed them._ **

_"What the Hell is your problem?!" Tim snapped at Dick. "You guys were_ obsessed _with figuring out what I was hiding, and now you just_ assume _that now it's your business? Piss off!" Jason laughed at Dick's expression._

_"Damn, Timmy." Tim sent him a glare, but didn't say anything and instead focused his attention on Dick._

_"You know, it's really ironic that_ Damian _of all people decided to let me do this alone!"_

 _"So he_ was _in on this." Tim groaned._

_"That's not the point, Dick!"_

_"Drake?" Damian said. Tim and Dick ignored him._

_"Then what was the point, Tim?"_

_"Drake."_

_"The point was to prove to you that I don't need your help, your pity, or_ you

" _Drake_ _!" Damian yelled. "He's not here anymore!" Tim and the others looked over to where Roy had been. Jason was the first to speak._

_"Ah, Hell."_

It might've just been him, but the walk was feeling really awkward. Maybe it was because Nathan was a stranger? He didn't know.

"Um...so, where are you from, Nathan?" The man smiled at him.

"Born and raised here in Gotham. What about you, Roy?"

"The same. But my family's Irish." Nathan nodded, never seeming to lose interest. "So, have you ever performed?"

"Huh?"

"Well, you know, play a guitar or sing or something on the street for money?" Nathan shook his head.

"Nah, that's more up the alley of the people you'll be meeting. And Evelyn."

"Evelyn performs?" Roy looked at Evelyn, who looked back with a smile.

"People are full of surprises, Roy. Remember that." Roy didn't know why, but he had the feeling that she wasn't just saying that. She really wanted him to keep that in mind. So he did.

"Yeah, she did work as a fortune teller for a long time." Nathan said. Roy looked at Evelyn and tried to picture her reading someone's palm. It was surprisingly easy to visualize.

"Wait, you said 'people I'll be meeting'. What people?"

"Just some old friends." Evelyn told him. "They live in an old scrapyard on the other side of this part of Gotham."

"I could hail us a taxi." Roy offered as he saw one approaching. Evelyn shook her head.

"Don't waste your money. You only have a little bit left." Roy bit his lower lip.

 _You know what? Screw it. The damn_ Batman _has seen me use my powers. Why should I care if other people do?_ "I can-" Evelyn sent him a look that clearly said 'now is not the time', so he stayed quiet.

"It won't take too long to get there. Half an hour, at most." Nathan told him. Roy felt like that was a bit of a sugarcoat.

Thirty minutes later, that thought was confirmed. They still weren't quite there yet. His feet were starting to hurt like Hell. But he didn't say anything. He didn't want to come across as whiny.

"Okay, so maybe my judgment of the distance was a little off..." Nathan said, and Roy almost laughed. Nathan hadn't been sugarcoating; he'd genuinely thought it would only take half an hour. Roy made a mental note never to ask him for directions if he needed them.

"And people say the elderly forget everything..." Evelyn muttered, to which Roy had to laugh a little.

She was a lot more...conversational than usual. Was it because she already knew Nathan, but didn't know Roy?

That theory didn't stop the thought from stinging a bit.

When they finally arrived, he heard one of the people he was meeting before he saw them.

"Hey, Evelyn! It's been weeks, where were you?" A girl asked as she ran out of the junkyard gate.

She was about year older than Roy, maybe more. Her wavy hair was strawberry blonde, her skin pale and her eyes were green, but a lighter shade than Roy's.

There's no way she'd been on the street for very long. The gray sweater she was wearing didn't look very old at all, or tattered. Neither did her blue skirt. He thought this impractical (given the weather) at first, but he then noticed that she was wearing jeans under them. _She must be wearing it for the aesthetic, then._ Her black hiking boots were fairly new as well.

All in all, this girl was beautiful to Roy. Unfittingly.

This girl clearly hadn't been raised in Gotham. He didn't know how he knew that, but he did.

"I'm just fine, thanks." Evelyn raised her hand in a dismissive wave. "We have a runaway here that needs help." The girl's eyes met Roy's for a few seconds. Her look of exasperated worry faded into a more concerned one.

"Oh. Okay, then. What's your name?" She asked.

"Roy..." He rubbed his arm, hoping the awkwardness was just in his head.

"Oh, I've heard about you. You're definitely welcome here. Parents can really suck." The girl said with a bitter edge in her voice. She stuck her hand out. "Nice to meet you, kid." Roy shook her hand.

"It's nice to meet you too...what's your name?" The girl smiled.

"Call me Alice."

"And he's not the only one." Evelyn turned her head to look back. "Come on out! It's past time Roy met you!"

**_He swore under his breath. That old hag! She'd tricked him!_ **

**_Maybe he could just stay here. Maybe they'd just think she was just a little crazy. Except..._ **

**_Except that was just some bullshit wishful thinking._ **

**_He didn't want to meet Roy face to face. Not yet. And he didn't even_ know _Nathan or that other girl, whatever her name was. He wasn't close enough behind them to hear._**

**_But he didn't have a choice now. He would've had to do it sooner or later, he knew that._ **

**_He'd just been hoping it would be later instead of sooner._ **

**_So, with a sigh of irritated resignation, he stepped around the building he'd been hiding behind and walked towards them._ **

He actually looked younger than Roy. But he was taller too. _Damn it._ He had light brown skin, and his black hair hung down a little bit past his shoulders. His eyes were a dark amber colour that almost looked like it was burning in the moonlight.

He was wearing a tattered black hoodie that was unzipped, so his dark blue shirt was visible. There were tears in his black jeans, but he didn't seem to care. He was wearing black and red sneakers that looked on the verge of falling apart.

How long had he been on the street?

"Uh, hey." He said awkwardly. "I'm the guy that was living with you without you knowing."

Roy stared at him. "Uh...what?"


	17. Just A Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't even start working on this until Wednesday, wow XD enjoy it, everyone!

"It's a long story, trust me." Evelyn said before the boy could reply. She turned to Alice. "Has Sean come back for tonight?" Alice shook her head. _Sean? I wonder who that is..._

"No, but he should be here soon. I already have the fire lit and the futons set out." She looked at Roy and the boy standing nearby. "...I guess I'll need to find a couple more, though." Nathan shook his head.

"Evelyn packed plenty of blankets and all that, Alice. Don't worry." Alice smiled, relief evident on her face.

"Good. It's supposed to get pretty cold tonight, and I'd hate for any of you to get sick. Come on." She walked into the scrapyard. Roy waited for Evelyn and Nathan to follow, then looked at the boy.

"What's your name?" He asked with a smile. The boy stared at him blankly for a few seconds, then began to walk past him.

"It's Keith." He replied as he walked through the gate. Roy watched him for a moment, then followed.

**_Keith stood against an abandoned car as everyone else sat down around the small fire. Luckily, it was all dirt, and several pieces of scrap metal encircled the fire just in case._ **

**_Roy kept looking at him every few seconds. Keith pretended not to notice, but it did cross his mind that Roy might've actually been attempting to get his attention._ **

**_Nonetheless, he waited for Roy to actually speak before he did anything. Which wasn't long._ ** **_"Sit by the fire, Keith. You don't want to get sick." He just shrugged, not really caring, but sat down next to Roy anyway. He had to admit, the heat from the flames felt good._ **

**_"Are you staying the night, Nathan?" The girl asked. The tall, wiry man shook his head with a smile._ **

**_"I'll be headed to the shelter for the night, but I'll come back tomorrow to help you guys get some money." Roy looked surprised._ **

**_"Gotham has a homeless shelter?_ ** **_" Nathan laughed._ **

**_"Believe it or not, it does." Roy looked confused._ **

_**"Then why aren't you and this Sean guy living there?"** Sean? Who the frick's that? **The girl shook her head.**_

**_"We're like you, Roy. We can't be recognized." Keith frowned._ **

**_"What did you guys do?" The girl looked at him._ **

**_"Mind if I just not tell you?" She asked, a slight edge to her tone. Spite surged through Keith, but he kept it at bay and instead gave her an obviously insincere smile._ **

**_"Of course."_** **_The girl looked back at Roy. She frowned._**

**_"Hey, are you all right?" She asked. Keith looked over at him as well. Roy looked really nervous..._ **

Were they about to fight? God, he really hoped not.

"Yeah, I'm fine..." He muttered, staring at the fire and chewing on his lower lip. He tasted blood on it. Great.

"Well, I'd better go." Nathan stood. "Tell Sean I said hello." Evelyn smiled at him, but seemed to have lapsed back into the silence Roy had grown accustomed to. "Roy, it was nice to meet you." He smiled at Keith as he walked by. "You too."

"Bye..." Roy said quietly. Everyone was silent for several minutes, so Roy took the opportunity to just...well, _think._ Think about everything that had happened, how drastically his life had changed.

He'd gone from living in a house with his abusive father and neglectful mother to homeless with an old woman and her small group of friends that were also homeless.

At some point during these thoughts, he had to wonder: would he go back if given a choice?

It didn't take long to decide that the answer was a definite no.

He'd gotten this far, and he was happier now than he'd been with his parents for almost ten years.

His train of thought was interrupted by Alice.

"Well, how about we all get some sleep?" She suggested, standing. "I'll be right back with the sleeping bags." She walked away. Keith sighed next to him.

"Okay, now I can ask." He said. "What's her name again?" Roy couldn't help but grin.

"Alice." He answered. Keith nodded. "Care to elaborate at all about what you said?"

"About what?" Roy could almost see the light bulb popping up over Keith's head. "Oh! Oh, uh...well, I'd been living in that apartment complex before you, so..."

"Oh, okay." Roy sighed with relief. "That sounds much less creepy than 'I've been living with you without you knowing'." He looked at Evelyn. "And you knew about this, right?" The elderly woman nodded. "Okay..." He'd question them further, but too much had happened today.

He'd met Tim Drake and Dick Grayson, went on a sort of date with Tim, had found out Tim was Red Robin, and was now living with a group of young (except for two) homeless people.

Speaking of...he was still wearing Tim's spare clothes...he felt his face heat up, and thanked God that the fire kept it hidden.

"I'm back!" Alice walked over with two armloads of sleeping bags. Roy stood up and rushed over to her, taking some of them.

"I'd have helped if you'd asked..." He told her. Alice just smiled.

"It's all right, really." They both laid down all of the sleeping bags. "Lucky we had a few to spare." Roy nodded, shivering a little as a small, but chilling gust of wind passed them. "It's not supposed to rain tonight, but it'll get pretty cold."

"I was going to tell you about where we were staying, but it was recently..." Evelyn trailed off.

"Compromised?" Keith suggested. Evelyn nodded.

"Yes, that's it." Alice smiled.

"I'm actually planning to save up for one of those really big tents for us all to sleep in. Better than sleeping in abandoned cars when the rain starts." She stated.

"Good idea." Roy sat down by one of the sleeping bags and slipped his shoes off. "I'm going to go ahead and get some sleep. It's been a long day for me." _And I'm too nervous to really talk to anyone for much longer anyway._

"Alright. Evelyn, you'd better hit the hay too. And you." She gestured to Keith. "I'll stay up until Sean comes back." Roy nodded and slid into the sleeping bag, zipping it up almost completely. But he left a small gap for air. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep.

**It's vision was smoky, like Roy's. But the smoke was a deep black that almost seemed to absorb light.**

**It had control over two people at once, something Roy had never been able to do (he never tried).**

**Familiar faces flashed through his mind. His grandmother, his Mama, his Papa. The two cabbies he'd possessed. Killer Croc. Nathan. Tim.** **Alice. Keith. Evelyn.**

**His vision was always just a black haze, looking around in a room familiar to Roy in a way he couldn't place.**

**His Papa's last words to him echoed through his mind. He saw the beatings from the third person floating beside his Papa, and felt a sick horror that grew to twisted amusement and rage as he saw himself grow older, every beating he'd endured happening before his eyes.**

**He saw the beatings through someone else's point of view, unable to do anything but stare as he wanted to cry.**

**He was now on the floor, gasping in pain as he went through horrible spasms of pain in his chest.**

**And then he saw its sick grin, it's grey eyes that seemed to leak a viscous black fluid that evaporated and became the black smoke it was obscured by.**

**It was a look of pure, malicious evil that promised nothing but suffering and agony.** **And then it was gone.**

He didn't dream about anything else after that.

But when he woke up, he could still see its face if he closed his eyes.

It was too hot in the sleeping bag. He couldn't breathe. He had to get out.

He practically ripped it open and slid out, his body trembling without his control.

"Are you okay, Roy?" Alice asked. He looked at her just as she slid something back into a holster beneath her skirt. It looked like a knife.

"Yeah..." He said, taking deep breaths. "Yeah, I'm fine." He gave her a smile he hoped was convincing. "It was just a nightmare."


	18. Disappeared

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got this week and another week until my Christmas Break X3 two weeks off!

The first thing Roy noticed when he looked around was that nobody else was around except for him and Alice.

"Where is everyone?" He asked, rubbing his eyes. Alice smiled and smoothed out her skirt over where she'd hidden whatever she was carrying.

"Sean and Nathan showed up about half an hour ago. They took the others to our workplace. You didn't wake up, so I figured you needed a little extra and volunteered to stay." She gave him a pretty smile that lit up her face. "Ready to go?" Roy nodded and slipped on his shoes. "Those clothes aren't yours, are they?"

"Huh?" Roy looked up at her.

"Well, the shoes and jacket do, but your pants and shirt look a little too clean for you to have been wearing them for as long as you've been homeless."

 _No, they're not mine._ Roy thought, his face heating up. _They're Tim's..._ "I borrowed them from a friend." Alice didn't really look like she believed him, but she didn't comment, which Roy was thankful for. He was _not_ in the mood to explain himself. He finished tying his shoes and stood up. "So, where exactly are we going?" He asked as they walked towards the yard gate.

"One of the busiest, yet safest streets in Gotham." She smiled at him as she pushed open the gate, which made a loud screeching noise that made Roy flinch and cover his ears. "Plenty of generous people there give us whatever pocket change or extra cash that they have."

"So, you all are street performers?" Roy asked. Alice raised her hand in a 'so-so' gesture as she lead Roy down the street.

"I sing, Evelyn is a clairvoyant. Nathan and Sean are our sort-of sales pitchers." She explained. Roy looked behind him nervously as a car passed.

He couldn't place why, but he felt more paranoid than ever before. "Sales pitchers?"

"They advertise us. You know how in a circus, some guy in a fancy suit and hat does that 'come one, come all' thing?"

"I've never been to a circus, but I get what you mean." Alice looked at him, surprised.

"Really? You've never seen a circus?"

"No. We were going to go see a really famous one, but we had to miss it because Papa got called in for overtime work. I remember hearing later that some of the performers died, so I guess it's good that we didn't go..." Then it clicked. "The Flying Graysons." Dick's smiling face flashed through his mind. _I don't think I would be such a chipper person if that happened to me..._

"Hey, Roy." Alice grabbed his shoulder, snapping him back to reality. "Wrong direction." He'd been about to walk right into traffic.

"Uh...yeah. Thanks..." He followed her as she turned left and kept walking.

"Don't worry about it. We're almost there." Alice stated.

"Okay." A pause. "Wait, why are you taking Keith and me here? We don't really have any special talents..."

"Maybe not, but you're both adorable." Roy stared at her, confused.

"What does being cute have to do with anything?" Alice looked back at him with a big grin and just shrugged. "Alice, you're freaking me out..."

"It's about time you two got here!" A deep voice called out from ahead if them. Roy looked past Alice.

_So this is Sean._

The guy was tall. Probably around six feet tall, or maybe taller than that. He was pretty intimidating, with an athletic build and dark hair. His eyes were a piercing green.

He didn't really seem dressed for the weather. All he was wearing was a black hoodie _that wasn't even zipped._ Was this guy Mr Freeze's kid or something? And he wasn't even wearing anything under the hoodie except an undershirt. _How._

Well, at least the dark blue jeans and black converse were somewhat reasonable.

"Sorry." Alice replied. "I had to wait a little while for Sleeping Beauty to wake up." Roy glared at her, then sighed and shook his head, much to Sean's amusement.

"Well, I'm glad you at least got here safe." Anxiety quickly built up in Roy at this statement, and he looked at Alice. She seemed just as confused.

"Why wouldn't we be safe on our way here?" Sean winced, his expression clearly saying _oops_ before he elaborated.

"Well, apparently Killer Croc broke out of Arkham last night, and four people have gone missing." A chill ran down Roy's back.

He knew what Killer Croc did to people he captured. Everyone knew, or at least had heard.

"Well, where are the others?" Roy asked, hoping his voice wasn't shaking too much. His hopes were dashed when he saw Sean and Alice exchange worried glances.

"Just around the corner, this way. Come on." Sean turned around and lead them down the sidewalk and around the corner.

"Alice says you're just going to pimp us out as sales lures." Roy said, making Sean laugh.

"That was the plan, but Keith didn't really go for it. He says he has his own talent he'd rather show people."

"What is it?" Sean looked at Alice.

"I don't know. He said he wanted us all here to see it." They turned the corner, and Roy saw Evelyn sitting at a makeshift table, with Nathan walking around and basically being her walking advertisement.

"Ladies and gentlemen of Gotham!" He exclaimed, his tone surprisingly strong despite how scratchy his voice was. "Take just a few minutes of your day to visit the magical, the mysterious, the cryptic Madame Eve!" He saw them coming and offered a quick grin before continuing. "Uncertain of what your future holds? Want an inside track for a sporting event? Just plain curious? Then come to Madame Eve and ask away! Satisfaction guaranteed! Only one dollar per prediction!" Sean and Alice stopped about five yards away and looked at Roy.

"Are you sure you don't have any talents that you think might get us some money?" Roy chewed on his lower lip, not stopping despite the sore state of it. He couldn't tell them about his power...and it wouldn't bring any money anyway.

"I...guess I'm a good base singer..." He said with uncertainty. Alice and Sean shared another, unreadable look. As they did, Roy looked past them and noticed Keith talking to a young girl with her parents. "What's Keith doing?"

"What's your favorite animal?" Keith asked the girl (who couldn't be older than six) with a kind smile as Alice and Sean turned to watch as well. So were Nathan and Evelyn.

"Unicorn!" She exclaimed loudly, with a sweet grin. Keith and the parents laughed a little.

"Your wish is my command." Keith took three steps back and stared at the ground in front of them. And then it was there.

A tall, pure white horse with a golden horn growing from its forehead. A freaking _unicorn._

While everyone that saw stared in awe, the girl practically squealed and asked to ride it. Keith allowed her, picking her up and placing her on its back. She didn't fall through it or anything.

"This was a free demonstration!" Keith called out loudly. "Any other requests will be five dollars!" He was soon swarmed by people after he put the girl down with her parents again. And the unicorn vanished.

"...I think we're going to get a _lot_ of money today..." Sean stated. Roy could only nod.

_"Where could he have gone?" Tim asked himself as he paced back and forth in the now vacant building. Jason watched him silently, leaned against a wall. Damian, Dick, and Bruce were searching for any sign of a destination he may have had in mind._

_"I don't know Tim, but freaking out isn't going to help." Jason told him._

_"I know_ that _!" Tim growled. "But neither is sitting there like a lump!" Jason let out a bark of laughter._

_"You've got me there, Timmy." Tim turned to Bruce and the others as they walked back into the lobby._

_"Did you find anything at all?" Bruce shook his head._

_"Come on, he can't be that hard to find." Dick declared with an optimistic smile. "He's wearing Tim's clothes, after all. He can't have gone too far, right?"_

_"We've got other things to worry about." Damian scoffed. "Is there anything you_ don't _get obsessed with, Drake?" Tim glared._

_"Stop being a condescending ass for five minutes!" He snapped. "You all can do whatever you want. I'm finding him, and I'm making sure he's safe!" Without waiting for anyone else to speak, he stormed out of the building._

_This was important to him._ Roy _was important to him._

_Two of the people that disappeared were Roy's parents. How long until Killer Croc came after Roy?_


	19. It Didn't Work

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been 300 years, down to the day. Now the bitch is back, and there's Hell to pay~ hi guys =3

_**Keith couldn't ignore his rapidly inflating sense of pride he felt as he saw everyone staring at him in shock.** If they could see the looks on their faces._

**_He wanted to laugh, but decided against it. After all, he still had a show to put on._ **

_Tim was angry._

_No, not just angry._

_He was_ livid. _Furious, outraged,_ pissed off.

_His family didn't even care that Roy might be out there in serious danger! Not even Jason did! Wasn't Jason supposed to have a soft spot for kids?_

Roy doesn't count as a kid, though. _His rational thought spoke up._ You were sixteen when he tried to kill you. _But that was different. Jason had a psychotic break, and he had a personal vendetta against Tim._

_He'd seen how screwed up in the head criminals in Gotham were firsthand more times than he wanted to think about._ _He had to make sure that Roy was okay, at least. He deserved that much._

_But first, he had to go back to his house. Roy's blood sample would be ready by then._

**_Just one hour later, Keith had collected exactly fifty dollars, plus twelve dollars and a few cents from Alice singing, and about_ ** **_eight dollars from Evelyn made about seventy dollars, give or take._ **

**_According to Nathan, that was a great day._ **

**_"All of you did a great job!" He exclaimed. "Keith, you were amazing!"_ **

**_There came that swell of pride again. He could do anything with his powers._ Anything. _Even-_**

**No. _His thoughts rang out with a voice that wasn't his own. In fact, the voice sounded distinctly female._ You have to resist those thoughts. Master them. _Never_ allow your gift's power to go to your head.**

**Gift? _He wondered._ This was a gift? Who gave it to me? _The voice continued to speak, seeming to dodge the question._**

**You must become more powerful if you want to protect your friends. But remember: _do not let this power inflate your ego._ It's a one way ticket to destruction.**

**But how can I become more powerful? _The voice was silent for a moment._**

**Backwards. _Was all that it replied with. What the Hell was backwards supposed to mean?_**

**_"Keith?" Roy snapped his fingers in front of Keith's face just as he broke out of that confusing train of thought._ **

**_"What?" He asked, probably sounding stupid. "Did you say something?" Then he noticed that the others were gone. "Where did everybody go?"_ **

**_"Well, you kind of zoned out. They went out to see what they could buy with that money." Roy smiled. "You used that power of yours on me before, didn't you? The guy in the apartment that first night?"_ **

**_Keith had to smile, and he nodded._ **

**_"You scared the crap out of me." Roy was grinning like an idiot._ **

**_"I have that affect on people._ ** **_" Keith told him. Roy shook his head._ **

**_"I just hadn't expected anyone to be there. You yourself aren't all that scary." He jumped a bit as Keith made the most dramatic sounding gasp he could._ **

**_"How._ Dare you. _" Roy looked like he was about to start laughing._** **_"I'll have you know that I'm one of the most terrifying people in Gotham City. Scarecrow cowers at the very mention of my name!" Roy_ was _laughing now._**

**_"Oh yeah, because Keith is_ such _a horrifying name." He remarked. "I can see it now: 'oh no, it's_ Keith! _Watch out for Keith!'" The goofy way he said it brought laughter out of both of them._** **_As they did, Keith looked past him and saw someone rounding the corner towards them._ **

**_Timothy Wayne._ Shit. _Keith quickly cast an illusion that Roy wasn't there and motioned for him to be silent._**

_Tim was walking towards the coffee shop he usually went to, lost in thought._

_The blood tests were finished,_ _but they hadn't been delivered to his house. Instead, he'd gotten a letter summoning him to the lab later today. It didn't say why._

_Tim rounded the corner and looked up, seeing a familiar figure standing next to a tall boy with dark skin before it just seemed to vanish._ Roy?

_Tim kept walking until he reached the boy, then stopped. "Hello..." He greeted. The boy just smiled at him. "You wouldn't happen to know a guy named Roy, would you?"_

_"Can't say that I do." The boy said, shrugging. "Sorry." Tim was getting more and more worried, but easily kept a straight face._

_"Thanks." Tim turned and kept walking._

**_Keith waited until Timothy was out of sight before he broke the illusion. "Well, that was close." Roy nodded._ **

**_"I'm not going to be able to hide from him forever." Keith looked at him._ **

**_"Maybe not, but there's a lot of time between now and forever." He started walking back towards the scrapyard._ **

**_"Yeah, I guess you're right..." Roy trailed off, and for about five minutes there was nothing but awkward silence. Just as Keith was about to talk, Roy beat him to it. "Tell me about yourself." Keith almost stopped walking._ **

**_"It's been awhile since someone's said_** that **_to me..." He muttered. "Well, what do you want to know?" He asked louder_.**

**_"I dunno. Favorite color, favorite food, who would play you in the movie about your life if you became famous. Just for starters."_ **

**_"That last one's a little weird, but okay." He thought about it for a minute. "Royal blue, chocolate cake, and...I don't know, Will Smith?" Roy hummed, then shook his head._ **

**_"I don't know about Will Smith...I could see him playing Deadshot, though." Keith looked at him, an eyebrow raised._ **

**_"Isn't Deadshot white?"_ **

**_"I don't know, I've never met the guy. I don't think he is, though." Roy smiled a little. "For me, it would be green, ice cream, and...I dunno, hopefully Matt Damon or something."_ **

**_"Why Matt Damon?"_ **

**_"He's way better looking than I am." Roy replied, grinning. When they finally reached the scrapyard again, Keith smiled a little._ **

**_"This place doesn't look so bad in the daylight." Roy looked at it, from the iron gate and chainlink fence around it to the piles of abandoned cars and furniture._ **

**_"Sure is a far cry from the apartment." Keith looked at him._ **

**_"You're not very optimistic, are you?" Roy just shook his head and opened the gate, walking into the yard. Keith sighed and shook his head, then followed._ **

_"Okay Barbara." Tim crossed his arms. "What was so odd about the blood sample results that you had to bring me here?" The redhead looked at him and handed over the results. Tim read them for a moment and frowned._ _"You see it too, right?" She asked. Tim nodded and looked up._

_"He doesn't have the meta gene..." Tim stated. Barbara shook her head._

_"No, he doesn't. But it's weirder than that. Look at his other genes." She pointed them out. "They're all doubled, and some are different from his. It's like he has two different DNA sequences inside of him." Tim shook his head._

_"But what does that mean?" Barbara just shook her head._

_"I don't know, Tim. I really don't know."_

**_About an hour later, they were cooking cans of soup over the fire while Alice and Sean sang, laughing the whole time._ **

**_"If I hear about one more bottle of beer, I'll have a heart attack." Keith said flatly. Evelyn gave him a sharp look._ **

**_"Don't talk to this lady about having heart attacks." She grinned as everyone laughed. Roy was mostly silent except for smiling or laughing. After a few more minutes, Nathan stood._ **

**_"I'd better leave, I've had enough food for tonight." Alice frowned._ **

**_"Aww. You should spend a night with us." He smiled and shook his head._ **

**_"I'll see you all tomorrow, don't worry." He waved at Keith and Roy as he left. Keith waved back, but noticed Roy looked a little bit sickly._ **

**_"I'm going to bed..." He muttered, walking to his sleeping bag. Evelyn did the same, looking a bit troubled. Keith looked at Alice and Sean. They just shrugged._ **

**_"Are you guys feeling okay?" Alice asked. No response from either of them. "So, uh...where are you from, Keith?" She asked awkwardly. He looked at her._ **

**_"I was born and raised here in Gotham." He replied. "What about you?"_ **

**_"I'm from New Mexico." She smiled. "I came here to take care of some family business." Keith leaned towards her, curious now._ **

**_"Mind if I ask what this business is?"_ **

**_"Well...my sister moved here and hasn't stayed in contact because she's on bad terms with our parents. I'm here to track her down and see if I can stay with her." She didn't seem to be lying, but the way she said it was automatic, as if rehearsed. Keith nodded and looked at Roy._ **

**_"I hope he's okay..." He muttered._ **

**He saw someone walking down a street. Even though he couldn't see the figure clearly, he knew it was Nathan. But why was he dreaming about Nathan?**

**His point of view shifted. He was seeing through the black smoke again as it approached Nathan from behind. Fear filled Roy, and he tried to call out to Nathan. But he had no voice.**

**Now he was seeing through Nathan's eyes, but it was still obscured by black smoke. Whoever this was had possessed him the same way Roy could, but he had no control. He could only watch.**

**Nathan walked past the shelter and kept going. Where, Roy had no idea. Eventually, he reached a busy street corner and stopped, looking around briefly and spotting a subway entrance.**

**He walked into it and pushed through the small crowd of people. Most took one look at him and got out of his way, looking wary or outright disturbed. He stopped at one of the platforms and waited.**

**He didn't have to for long. He could hear the train coming, could see its lights. It was coming fast.**

**He knew what was going to happen, and he fought. Roy fought like never before, screaming for Nathan to snap out of it, to back away.**

**It didn't work.**

**Nathan jumped onto the track without hesitation, and then the train came barreling towards him.**

**People screamed as blood splattered out onto the platform.**

**Everyone was panicking, running, calling the police.**

**All Roy could do was watch.**


	20. For The Time Being

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jesus Christ, I started late on this chapter...10:25 at night on a Thursday XD

Roy didn't like to think about his dreams. It brought around an unwelcome headache and was a waste of time (not that he was very busy anymore). Why?

Because he never remembered them. All he could remember about his previous nightmare was, well...that it was a nightmare. And by now, he'd forgotten about it.

When he woke up in the middle of the night at the scrapyard, he already barely remembered his nightmare about Nathan.

But he remembered enough that he woke up screaming.

He remembered enough that he scrambled out of his sleeping bag and ran faster than what he thought possible.

And even when the smaller details faded from his mind entirely, he could track dream Nathan's movements without the slightest hesitation, as if driven by some base instinct.

 _You're too late._ He ignored that train of thought, though it repeated over and over in increasing desperation with every step Roy took. He ran down the steps of the subway entrance and rounded the corner.

There was Nate, standing at the edge of the platform. He could do this. He could save Nathan!

He yelled Nathan's name as the man stepped off onto the track. Roy skidded to a stop at the platform.

For a brief moment, he saw Nathan's eyes.

They were milky white, like they'd rolled up into his head. Then his face began to stretch into a grin that Roy would never forget, not even in his waking from nightmares.

Then the train rushed by.

He didn't know if he heard a sound over the roar of the train. He might've, but he would later recall a phenomenon (he couldn't remember the name) where the human brain inserts a sound where there is none.

That's most likely what he heard when the train barreled into Nathan.

**_Keith had been freaked out to say the least when Roy woke up._ ** **_He screamed. Dear God, that was a scream of pure fear if he'd ever heard one._ **

**_And then, almost faster than he could process, Roy was running out of the scrapyard as fast as he could go._ **

**_"What the Hell was that about?!" Sean asked, sounding grouchy._ **

**_"Follow him!" Evelyn said, her voice shaky. Keith looked at her._ **

**_Her whole body was trembling. She looked terrified._ **

**_"What?" He asked dumbly, his thoughts still a little sluggish._ **

**_"Follow him right now! It's not too late!" That was, apparently, all Alice and Sean needed to hear before they were chasing after Roy. After moment, Keith stood and ran as well._ **

**_They were making a lot of turns. Where exactly was Roy going?_ **

**_They ran down the subway stairs and stopped just as the train ran by. People were panicking, screaming, a few were calling the police._ **

**_Roy was just standing there, facing away from them and towards the train. Perfectly still. Alice slowly approached him._ **

**_"Roy, what happened?! Are you okay?!" She asked. She then turned Roy towards them._ **

**_He had blood splattered on his shirt, his hands, and a drop or two on his face, which was drained of color. His eyes were wide, and he seemed to be zoned out._ **

**_"Roy, what happened?" Keith asked. "Whose blood is that?"_ **

**_Roy muttered something, his lips barely moving. Keith stepped closer. "What?"_ **

**_"...Nathan..." He said. "It's Nathan's...he was on the track..."_ **

**Oh God... _" Alice covered her mouth with a hand, staring at the blood on him._**

**_Keith's mind went blank. He could barely even form a coherent thought as the wailing of sirens approached from outside of the subway._ **

Roy could barely think. As it was, he was spaced out and just thinking about...nothing. All he could see when he closed his eyes was Nathan, with that smile...that evil, horrible smile.

He vaguely registered police, and voices, and then being put into a car. It all went blurry from there.

But when he finally began to focus again, he was in an interrogation room. _Like the ones from Law Order._ He thought. _That was Papa's favorite show._ Roy looked at the two officers sitting across from him.

"Sorry...did you say something...?" He asked. Ugh, he hated his voice. It sounded soft and weak. _As if being weak is anything new for me._

 _Don't think about that, Roy. Focus._ He just caught what the officer said.

"I asked if you'd like a glass of water." She repeated. Roy stared at her for a second. _Water, Roy. Liquid. A drink._

"Yes please..." He answered. She nodded and left the room, leaving Roy with the male officer. "Are you going to make me go back home...?" He asked. The officer looked nervous for a split secind before resuming his serious demeanor.

"We'll get to that later, Elroy." The female officer returned with a glass of water and placed it in front of Roy. He drank from it and then looked down at his lap.

"Elroy, tell us what happened to your friend, Nathan." She said gently.

_You can't tell them the truth. They won't believe you._

"I...I don't know. I just woke up and had this _really_ bad feeling...so I followed him...and saw him jump onto the track in front of the train..." He replied, his heart beating hard and fast. God, he hadn't been this scared in a while.

Did they suspect him? Would they believe him? Even when he held back about the dream it sounded sketchy!

_Calm down, Roy. Focus. Deep breaths..._

"Where are my friends?" Roy asked, looking between the two officers. "Are they here? Can I see them?"

"You can soon." The female officer promised. "But for now, please help us figure out what happened. Did Nathan ever show any signs of being suicidal?" Roy shook his head.

"No...I didn't know him for long at all, but he seemed really happy..." He looked up. "Are you guys going to make me go back to my parents?" The officers shared a look that he didn't like. He could only describe it as the expression that meant someone had bad news. "What is it? Are they okay?" Now his heartbeat was picking up again. It almost hurt from how hard it was pounding.

"Your parents...they went missing recently, without a trace." The female officer finally told him.

She started saying something else, but Roy didn't hear her. He couldn't hear anything anymore. All he could see was that face...that face that he just knew he'd see in his nightmares for a long time to come.

_Tim paced back and forth, biting at his nails for a moment before stuffing his hands into his pockets._

_They were still interrogating Roy. It had been almost two hours! Maybe it just took them a while to get Roy to speak? Poor kid was probably in shock._

_"Why is he here?" A female voice asked. Tim looked over to see a pretty red haired woman talking to an officer._

_"He's here to visit your friend." The officer replied. Tim looked at the girl._

_"You know Roy?" She nodded._

_"Yeah. Well, sort of. We just met...uh..." She looked at a clock. Two in the morning. "Two days ago." Two more people joined the girl, one of whom Tim recognized._

_"I remember you. I met you yesterday." His eyes narrowed. "So you lied to me." The boy returned the look._

_"Did it ever cross that big brain of yours that maybe Roy doesn't_ want _to be found?" Tim clenched his hands into fists, then sighed and looked at the clock again._

_Of course it had crossed his mind. But that didn't mean that it was good for Roy to be out on the street._

_"Anyway, can I have my knife back?" The girl asked. Tim looked back over to her in confusion as an officer reached into his desk and handed her a large knife. It had the general shape of a kitchen knife, but the handle was wooden and the blade had an intricate pattern carved into the side. She lifted up her skirt (she was wearing pants too, thank God) and slid it into a sheathe strapped to her thigh. She looked up, and her eyes met Tim's._

_"My eyes are up here, dude." Tim's face flushed red._

_"I, I...uh..." She smiled._

_"I'm kidding, relax."_

_"Tim?" Roy called out. Tim turned to see Roy walking out of an interrogation room with two officers. "What're you doing here?" Tim paused, thinking of what to say. Finally, he gave up and just smiled, blurting it out._

_"Inviting you to stay with me at my house. For the time being."_

_He expected Roy to resist, insist that he couldn't. Hell, Tim was ready for the kid to flat out refuse._

_Instead Roy stared at him in silence for a few seconds. Then he slowly nodded._

_"Okay..."_


	21. I Know Them

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 12:10 a.m. on a Thursday XD

"Do you have nothing better to do than just sit there?" Tim asked as he watched Roy, who was sitting on the couch silently. The brunet snapped out of his thoughts and gave Tim a surprised look.

"Uh...I don't know, do I?" Anxiety began gnawing at his stomach as he spoke. "You didn't tell me to do anything."

"Do I have to? I figured you knew how to take care of a house, given you pretty much ran yours yourself." The gnawing turned to an engulfing heat as Roy's expression soured.

"Watch it, Tim." The black haired teen sighed and ran a hand through his already messy hair.

"I'm sorry, that was rude. I'm just..."

"Stressed out?" Roy finished for him. "I know, I could hear you typing away at that laptop of yours all night." Tim winced a bit.

"Sorry if that kept you up."

"It didn't. It was actually a good bit of white noise." Roy smiled a bit. "I can't fall asleep without some background noise. Like a fan running or something. And you were typing at a pretty constant rate. What exactly is it that you do on that thing?" Tim looked like he was in thought.

_If he has to think about it, he's going to lie to you._

"Are you a writer?" Roy asked. "That'd be pretty cool." Tim smiled a little, but shook his head.

"No, not really. It was just business at WayneTech." Roy frowned. _How much work does he have to do day to day?_

"You know, you should probably take a vacation if you've got work to do at midnight."

"I've worked later. I just drink a lot of coffee and I'm fine." Tim sat next to Roy, which brought a rush of color to Roy's face. "Given any thought to it?" Roy looked over at Tim, trying not to think about how close they were.

"Any thought to what?" Tim smiled.

"We never got around to it because of Croc, but I asked you what you wanted to do with your life." Roy sighed and looked down, his parents running through his mind.

"I haven't really...had time to think about myself since then."

"Let me tell you this from experience, Roy." Tim said, looking at him. "When everyone else lets you down, all you can do is help yourself." Roy snorted.

"Such comforting words from a true ray of sunshine." He shook his head. "There's no way _everyone_ in your life has let you down." Tim was silent. "...seriously?" Tim shrugged.

"Just about everyone, at least once." Roy stared at him silently. He felt a weight in his stomach as if he'd swallowed a block of lead.

"Have I?" Tim looked at him.

"Well, you ran away." Roy frowned.

"I was scared. I have enough to freak out over without fucking Batman stalking me." Roy sighed and put his face in his hands. He could still see that thing's face. He'd been dreaming about it for the past two days. It didn't matter if he forgot the rest of the dream, this was something he knew he'd never forget. And then he saw his parents. Would he ever see them again?

_Now isn't the time to grieve, or be scared. Ask him about thr blood tests._

Roy's eyebrows furrowed, but he raised his head up.

"How did the blood tests come out?" Tim stared at him for a moment.

"I'll show you." He stood and left the room. Roy sighed and looked around at the plain grey walls and tile floors. It was made to look like wood, but he knew it wasn't. He could see the square cracks.

"Okay, look at this." Tim said, sitting down next to Roy and showing him the blood test results. "See anything weird?" Roy read through the paper for a moment.

"Everything on here has a weird name." Tim sighed.

"Other than that, Roy."

"Well, I..." Roy stared at it for a bit longer before it finally clicked. "The chromosome count is really high..." Tim nodded.

"Exactly. In fact, it's _double_ the amount that a normal person should have. It's two separate DNA sequences. _And neither of them have the meta gene_."

 _Wait, what?_ Roy slowly looked up at Tim.

"...what does that mean...?" He bit his lower lip. "I mean, what...how can I...?" Tim frowned.

"I wish I knew, Roy. It's like I took blood from two people at once. And then it gets even weirder: the second sequence? It matches nobody in public records." Roy frowned and stared at the paper again.

"Well, we know he's a male. Double the amount of XY chromosomes." Roy glanced at him. "Do you think the needle might've gotten contaminated somehow?"

"Definitely not. But we can run a second test if you want, just to be sure." Roy's gaze went back to the paper, then he nodded.

"Okay, but you're taking me out to eat afterwards. I demand ice cream." Tim's lips curved up into a small, amused smile.

"Demand, huh? Okay, it's a deal."

_An hour later, they were sitting on a bench in a park. While Roy ate his ice cream (butter pecan, Tim noted), he began to lose himself in his thoughts._

_It had been two days since Roy started staying with him, and he had actually been about as verbal as usual. Maybe because having someone to talk to distracted him from thinking about his parents?_

_"Who's that statue of?" Roy asked, snapping him out of his train of thought. Tim looked up at the nearby statue in the middle of the park._

_"That's Arkham." Tim replied with disinterest. Roy looked at him quizzically._

_"Uh...so he founded the asylum?" Tim nodded, leaning forward with his chin on his hand and his elbow on his knee. "Sorry for enjoying history." Tim smirked a little._

_"Apology accepted." Roy let out a dramatic sigh, but he was grinning as he finished his ice cream. "I'll be right back." He stood up and approached the statue. Tim just hummed and stared down at the pavement._

_He hated waiting. But that's what he had to do until the second test came back._

_At least Bruce and the others had some of the same priorities as him now: finding Roy's parents._

Only because they're on a list of victims. _Tim thought bitterly._ They don't give a damn about Roy.

_Tim chose that time to look up, and saw Roy talking with Jason._

_Great._

"Tim? He's right over there." Roy gestured to Tim, who looked to be a blend between exasperated and angry. "I don't think he's in a good mood, though." Jason snorted.

"Timmy's had a stick up his ass for awhile." Jason gave him a look that Roy couldn't identify the emotion behind. "I think that's mostly because of you." Roy felt a pang in his chest as he frowned.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked. Jason shook his head.

"It's not bad that he cares about you, kid. It's that he's gotten so..."

"Aggro?"

"Yeah. Thanks." Roy looked up at the statue.

"You guys are going to find my parents, right?" Jason looked at him silently for a few seconds, then he finally nodded. "Who else has gone missing besides them?" Jason reached into his back pocket and handed Roy a newspaper clipping. Roy scanned through the pictures and froze, his eyes widening. He could feel the color draining from his face.

"Woah, you look like you've seen a ghost. What's wrong?" Jason asked. Roy read the two other names again.

_Vernon Everett, Amber Walsh._

Then the pictures again.

"I know the other two people here..." He said quietly. Jason's eyes widened a little.

"You do?"

"Yeah...they're both taxi drivers that I've met before they disappeared..." Roy replied, his voice almost a whisper. Why would these people disappear? What motive could whoever did this have?

It hit Roy then. His parents and the two cab drivers going missing...

And Nathan being killed...

Roy looked up and saw that Jason had reached the same conclusion.

"Whoever's doing this has it out for people you've met, or that you know..." Keith, Evelyn, and the others flashed into Roy's mind.

"I have to go make sure they're okay!" Roy tried to rush past Jason, but the man grabbed him by the arm.

"No way, Roy. They're after you too." Roy glared at him.

"I don't care! Let go!" He could hear Tim running over.

"Jason, what the Hell?!" The two began to argue as Roy tried to vaporize. But he couldn't.

 _You can't. Not while he's grabbing you._ Roy looked around. _The statue, Roy. The statue._

Roy looked up at the statue's eyes. After a moment, hus vision gained that hazy red smoke. Then it was gone, but the statue's eyes were now blood red. With the grating noise of concrete and metal scraping together, the statue slowly stepped down from its pedestal and glared at Jason, raising its fist.

 _No, don't hurt him!_ The statue stopped immediately, but its eyes stayed red. Tim and Jason stared at it, the former speechless and the latter apprehensive.

The statue pulled Roy out of Jason's grip, surprising him. Right away, the statue froze up and fell over, hitting the ground with a loud bang.

All three of them, as well as the few pedestrians that witnessed the event, were silent. Finally, Roy broke it.

"I didn't know I could do that..."


	22. Normal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I probably puked this out from an all-nighter XD

"If it helps anything, I'm sorry." Roy said with an awkward smile. Tim snorted.

"It doesn't, but I appreciate the sentiment." Roy looked at Tim and kept the smile going.

"Come on, was it that bad? It's just a statue." They both looked up from where they sat on the sidewalk as Jason exited the small gas station a few yards away with three bags of candy. He tossed one to Roy, another to Tim, and kept the third as he sat on the other side of Tim, who looked at Roy sternly.

"It was a memorial statue, Roy. It's a pretty big deal to most people." Roy shook his head.

"As if Arkham Asylum has done anyone much good, given how easy it apparently is to break out of. Besides, it was an accident. I mean, what're they going to do, send me to the asylum?" Jason smirked.

"That'd actually be appropriate, given what happened." He joked. Roy grinned, then looked down and picked at the strings on his shoe until they came loose, then started retying them as he spoke.

"Be honest, Jason. How's the search going?" Jason looked at him.

"Well, I already told Bruce about our little brainstorm, so that'll help a lot." He gave Roy a look that might've been uneasy, or maybe sympathetic. "But...he's probably added you to his list of suspects."

Roy didn't know who stood up faster, Tim or himself.

"That's ridiculous!" Roy found himself yelling before he could stop. "Why the Hell would I ever kidnap my own parents?! _How_ would I do it, for that matter?!" He was probably overreacting and he knew it, but if he was being honest, he was scared.

Not that Bruce would find some kind of evidence against him. He wasn't that paranoid. He was scared that maybe, somehow...his parents and those cabbies disappearing... _really was_ his fault.

If they were found dead, or never found at all and presumed to be...would that blood be on his hands?

He suddenly had the urge to wipe his hands on his jeans as Tim spoke up in a more indignant tone of voice.

"Come on, Jason, even you have to know how stupid that is!" Jason raised an eyebrow, popping a piece of candy into his mouth and not answering until he'd chewed and swallowed it.

"Is it, though?" Roy's chest felt cold, but his face heated up a bit. "Don't get me wrong, we all doubt it. But this obviously isn't a coincidence, and we're just trying to go through every possibility." He sent a halfhearted glare towards Tim. "So calm the Hell down, okay?" Tim looked ready to toss out another remark, but stayed silent.

It stayed that way between the three of them, perfectly quiet, for a few minutes. Roy was trying to think of a way to break the awkwardness of it, but couldn't really...

Then he saw a family park by one of the gas pumps, and a middle aged man got out to fill the tank while a woman that was almost certainly his wife walked into the store with a child of about twelve trailing behind her.

There was nothing particularly special about this. It was perfectly normal. But maybe that's why it caught his eye to begin with.

"You know what sounds absolutely fantastic right now?" He asked. Tim and Jason sent him questioning looks. "Having a normal day. No talking about what's happening, no powers, no vigilante crap, no fighting. I want to pretend for awhile that I'm just a regular kid hanging out with friends." Tim slowly smiled at him.

"That sounds like an _excellent_ idea." He looked at Jason. "Care to come with us, Jay?"

"I don't have anything better to do." Jason ate another candy as he stood up. "Alright, what do we do first?"

"Well..." Roy looked around with uncertainty, then shrugged. "I mean, we could just get some coffee."

"Wow, way to shoot for the moon." Jason remarked flatly. "It's past twelve in the afternoon and Timmy here has enough Deathwish coffee day-to-day as it is."

"What's Deathwish coffee?" Roy asked, grinning a little. "It seems horrible but awesome at the same time. Kind of like you guys."

"...well, you've got us there." Jason admitted with a small smile.

**_To say that all of them were shook up after everything over the past few days was quite an understatement._ **

**_Alice and Sean had rarely spoken beyond the regular pleasantries. 'Good morning, how'd you sleep, are you hungry, good night' basically summed up his conversations with them lately._ **

**_He'd been having nightmares, too. It was always the same, to the point of being mundane and predictable._ **

**_He would be running with Alice and Sean, but he couldn't keep up with them no matter how fast he ran, and they would disappear into the subway. He'd finally catch up to them, only to watch Roy leap in front of the train._ **

**_But Roy would always be facing towards them, so that he had to jump backwards. And he always had the same expression on his face. It disturbed Keith, but not for the reasons he would've expected. There was no creepy sneer, no evil laugh, not a spark of malicious intent._ **

**_He was always smiling with his eyes closed, looking almost relaxed. Maybe even happy._ **

**_He'd never seen Roy that happy, smile that sincerely._ **

**_And it bothered him more than Nathan's death._ **

**_Nathan was gone. There was nothing he could do about that._ **

**_Besides, it wouldn't be the first time someone he'd grown to care for died._ **

**_He sighed and laid back on the hood of the rusty old Cadillac (a waste, in his mind) he had been sitting on and glanced towards Evelyn._ **

**_She had definitely fared the worst out of the four of them in the time after Nathan's demise._ **

**_She was entirely silent now. Not that she'd been that verbal to begin with, but now she never made a single vocal noise, and her eyes were always unfocused, as if she were mentally somewhere else._ **

**You shouldn't care, _he told himself,_ or they'll all die too.**

**_So he just looked up towards the sky and took a deep breath through his nose, shutting his eyes as he exhaled and enjoyed the last fair weather Gotham would have over the next few days._ **

**_In that time, it would be raining buckets._ **

_You've never had coffee._

The thought shocked Roy into a jolt, surprising Tim and Jason as well as drawing the attention of a few other customers in the restaurant.

They (meaning Jason) had decided to settle with milkshakes rather than coffee, and luckily there weren't all that many other patrons, but that didn't mean gossip wouldn't go around.

They probably made quite a sight. A jumpy, scrawny nothing kid sitting next to wealthy businessman Timothy Wayne with a tall, built like a tank twenty-something sitting across from them; all three just casually drinking their milkshakes as if they were the most normal trio in Gotham.

_Don't underestimate yourself. You could kill everyone in this room with ease._

Roy abruptly stood. "I'll be right back." Tim stood up too as he walked to the door, but Jason had him sit back down. "Thanks, Jay..." Roy muttered as he left the restaurant. He walked around the side of it and made sure nobody was in earshot or view before speaking. "So, you're a psychopath too, huh?"

_It's about time that you finally speak to me._

"That's not an answer, weirdo." Roy ran a hand through his hair, which had actually grown a bit, and sighed. "Please don't tell me I'm going crazy."

 _Now's not the time for such trivial questions. If you have anything important to ask, speak up. I can only talk for so long before I become too weak. It's hard to conserve my energy_ and _speak to you._

"Who are you?"

_I expected something a bit different, but I will answer. You may call me Brax._

"Okay...um... _what_ are you, exactly?"

_The closest that I can compare myself to is something between what you would call a ghost and a Will O' Wisp. Perhaps a mix of both. But my race called ourselves the Wraiths. We are not what you would identify as a Wraith, however._

"What do you mean?"

_It's difficult to explain._

"Do..." He didn't know why, but he lowered his voice as if he expected someone was watching him when he asked the next question. "Do you know who's after me?"

 _Not who._ What. _It's like me, but not at the same time. Think of dog breeds; all canine, different species._

"But that..." He was more confused than ever, and he was barely holding his fear at bay. It would've been one thing if he was dealing with a person, but something with abilities similar to his?

_I'm sorry. I only know so much about the creature._

"You're getting hard to hear..." That was the only way Roy could vocalize it. Brax was speaking in the form of thoughts, but Roy somehow sensed that he had the deep voice of a male older than Roy, but not nearly elderly either. Now that was fading. Brax 'sounded' like he was lowering his voice to a whisper.

_I can't speak anymore for now. Watch your back, Roy. Keep your friends close. And if I give you advice, obey it. The lives of everyone you love may depend on it._

And then Brax was silent, leaving Roy to process everything he'd just been told.

Somewhere, Aileen O'Hara 'woke up' for the first time in years.


	23. Don't Look Back

_When Roy came back into the restaurant and sat down, he looked troubled. Like he had a lot on his mind._

Duh, of course he does. His parents are missing. _Was Tim's first thought. But it seemed to be more than that._

_He seemed detached from what he was doing. Even as he sat down and smiled at them, his thoughts were somewhere else. Tim wanted to ask if he was okay, but...he had the feeling that Roy needed to sort out whatever this was uninterrupted._

Aileen had no idea where she was. She'd woken up to complete darkness, her back to a cold, wet brick wall. Her bangs clung to her forehead, which was wet with either water, sweat, or blood, and she had no idea which.

As her eyes began to adjust what little bit they could, memories flitted through her head in fragments, all involving her son.

Her son...he was seventeen now? Almost an adult...

No. That couldn't be. How could it? He'd been only eight this afternoon...or yesterday...?

Her mother was dead...she'd died this morning...no, last week...but that meant...

No...no, it couldn't have. Her mother had been fine when she last saw her. Better than ever. What was it she'd said? 'Good genes on my side of the family, Aileen. I'll be eighty and look sixty when little Roy's all grown up'. Her mother _had_ to be okay, right?

She had to know for sure. She had to find Aiden and Roy and get them out of here...wherever 'here' was.

More memories...and the more that came back to her, the less she wanted to know.

Years of her life that she wasn't aware had passed coursed through her in seconds, and by the end of it she was sure she was going to be sick. But she managed to hold it in and instead took several deep breaths that echoed in the black stillness of wherever she was sitting.

She was afraid to call Aiden's name. She had no idea if he was even here, and if anyone or anything else was around she didn't want to catch its attention.

But she had to get out of here somehow. So, with her back against the wall to support her, she slowly stood up. She didn't seem to be injured, luckily. But she felt exhausted, as if she'd run a kilometer without stopping.

And she was wet. Maybe it was raining?

She shook her head to clear it, but the movement felt slow and sluggish, like she were moving in syrup or gelatin.

Finally, cautiously, she began to walk through the darkness.

They were in a store now. Roy wouldn't have been surprised at all if the place were held up at gunpoint or something (he was in Gotham, after all), but everything remained uneventful.

Well, except for Brax making a comeback in his head.

 _What is that for, exactly?_ He asked.

"You don't know what this is?" Roy frowned, looking about to make sure nobody heard him. Especially not Jason or Tim. "It sure doesn't take you long to get your energy back, does it?"

_Not particularly. Anyway, isn't this a product for women?_

"Nail polish? Yes, usually." Roy picked up a small bottle with thick purplish-red polish inside. _This wouldn't look half bad on me..._

_Why would you want to wear that?_

Roy felt his ears and face flush in embarrassment. He quickly put the nail polish back and walked out of the aisle.

"I'd rather you not read my thoughts, if that's what you're doing." He murmured as he searched for Tim or Jason.

_I didn't have to. The thought practically flew at me._

"Great." Roy grunted as he walked towards a small aisle where guns were being sold. Jason wasn't there. "This sucks."

 _It_ will _take some getting used to, yes. The more we communicate, the more we connect, and the longer I can speak with you._

"Mind telling me why you're in my head, exactly?" Roy thought he saw Tim entering an electronics store, but it could just as easily have been another black haired teenager.

_I'm not quite sure myself. All I know is that you're one of few people that can sustain this...this..._

"Symbiosis." Roy suggested as he began to walk towards a bench to sit and wait for Jason or Tim to find him instead of the other way around.

_Yes, that's it. Few people can sustain this symbiosis without suffering severe psychological damage._

"Lucky me...look, I know I'm probably supposed to feel honored or something, but if I'm going to take down whatever the Hell that thing is, I'll need more information about what it and you have in common, and you have _shit_ as far as knowledge of your kind goes."

_I don't think you can kill it, if that helps._

"I have to try. I can't run from it forever. Not while it's kidnapping or killing people I know."

_Do you wish to do this because of Nathan?_

Roy felt sick for a moment before answering. "Not _just_ because of Nate, but...he's part of it..."

_What's the other part? You don't carry an emotional attachment to any of the kidnap victims, do you?_

"Two of them are my parents..." He muttered, more to himself than to Brax.

After all, he was right. He didn't even know any of the other people that were kidnapped, and his parents could barely even be called that anymore.

But he had to help them, right...?

_You don't have to do anything for anyone, Roy._

"Somehow I didn't expect you to be the antihero type." Roy remarked.

"Who are you talking to?" Tim asked. Roy jumped a bit, his ears reddening.

"I, uh...nobody. Don't worry about it."

_Good save._

Roy resisted the urge to retort as Tim sat by him. Then, slowly, he looked at Roy. "So...I called a, uh...a friend." Roy raised an eyebrow.

"Doesn't sound like you're on very good terms with this friend."

"I'm not, but he's not coming here. I asked him to protect your friends." Roy stared at Tim, processing that.

"...thanks..." Was all he could think to say. "Who is he?"

"...Robin..."

"...ah, Hell."

**_Keith already didn't like the kid._ **

**_Robin was rude, crass, and condescending all at once. And they only met him five minutes ago!_ **

**_It definitely didn't help that it was raining hard, and he couldn't leave the abandoned office shed without getting soaked and putting himself in an even worse mood._ **

**_"I'm gonna kill you, Roy..." He muttered._ **

She'd been aimlessly wandering for what felt like an hour before she finally heard something besides dripping water and her own echoing footsteps: a voice, faintly resonating through the darkness.

"Hello...?" Aileen called out, her voice scratchy from lack of use. She walked towards where she thought the voice was coming from. She couldn't tell what it was saying...but she soon identified it as female.

She kept going, speeding up a little bit. There were other people around...she could find a way out more easily with more people around. Probably. The girl might even remember how she got here!

Aileen turned a corner and stopped dead in her tracks. Ahead, what seemed to be an impossibly long distance away, was a light shining down in the tunnel. And there, with their back to her, was a person.

It was most likely a male, based on stature and size alone.

She didn't know why, but she made sure her steps were almost silent as she slowly closed the distance between them.

She could still hear the girl's voice, but it only registered in the back of her mind as she crept towards the male. She knew who he was when she was only a few dozen feet away.

"Aiden..." She whispered, mostly to herself. She had the feeling that getting his attention wouldn't be a good idea. She slowly began to back away.

" **It's rare that I find a human that adapts so well to my presence, Aileen.** " Aiden spoke, but his deep and rough voice was replaced by a throaty rasp that reminded her of a snake slithering over dead leaves. She froze on the spot, and her whole body felt cold, immobilized as the voice continued. " **I had expected for you to be a better vessel, being** ** _her_ daughter. But he's a far better substitute than she ever was...for me, anyway. So pathetically easy to control, little resistance, _and_ able to support my possession as well?** **I can have all _kinds_ of fun with him...and with you, dear Aileen...**"

The voice let out the most horrible laugh she'd ever heard. It was a grating, insane, evil sound that made the very walls and floor vibrate.

 _Don't turn around._ She found herself thinking. _Please God, make him stay still._

But He wasn't on her side tonight. As if sensing her thoughts, Aiden slowly turned around to reveal a face Aileen would forever see in her nightmares.

She didn't realize she was screaming until she felt her voice break. Forgetting all about the girl, she turned and ran away. She heard _its_ laughter behind her, and then quick, heavy footsteps tailing her.

_Don't look back, don't look back, DON'T LOOK BACK._


	24. A Way Out

Aileen couldn't outrun it for much longer, especially in the pitch dark. Her husband was much taller than her, had longer legs.

She yelped as she bumped into the tunnel wall. Damn she'd forgotten about the turn! As she turned and kept running, she felt it make a grab for her hair and only pull out a couple of strands.

She couldn't keep this up forever...but she also couldn't just let it catch her. So she did the only thing she could think of on the fly, something she doubted would work.

She waited until it was right behind her, within grabbing distance of her hair...and dropped sideways onto the floor.

She winced in pain as her husband's boot hit her ribs, but it worked: she felt it trip over her and hit the floor hard. Based on the loud crack she'd heard, she had even given it a broken bone for good measure. She quickly got back up, did a 180, and ran back towards the distant light.

This time, she remembered the turn just in time to make it without hitting the wall.

She listened as she approached the light. The girl's voice had stopped, and as she slowed down to try and listen for anything else, she realized that she couldn't hear her husband ( _That's not Aiden anymore,_ she reminded herself) following her either.

Not really relieved so much as unsettled by that, she kept going at a brisk but almost silent walk.

She didn't want to look back. She was deathly afraid that the moment she did, she would see that God-awful _face_ right over her shoulder. She'd die of fright before it would even get the chance to do whatever the Hell it was that it wanted her for.

A part of her found the situation funny in a dark, twisted way. She probably wouldn't even be going through what she was if they'd decided to live _anywhere_ but Gotham. At the moment, Metropolis was sounding pretty great. Maybe National City, hardly anything happened there.

She made her way to the light in the tunnel and took her chance to observe what the tunnel itself looked like. The walls and ceiling were brick, and the floor was concrete. There was about five feet between one wall and the other, which was enough to move around in, but also provided little chance for her to just press against the wall to hide should she need to. The light was just a bulb hanging from a wire on the ceiling that went off into the darkness both ways, which meant that there _should_ be more lights on. But as far as she could see, this was the only one.

It quickly crossed her mind that there was probably a reason for that.

So she examined both of the walls, searching for anything out of the ordinary about them. The bricks were rough and cold, but otherwise there was nothing odd about them.

Just as she was about to give up and keep walking, she felt a gap a little ways outside of the light's radius, only about an inch wide. She slid her arm down and felt that the gap went all the way to the floor. It went up a few inches above her head, then stopped and went to the right.

"A door..." She whispered to herself. She dug her fingers into the gap and pulled. The heavy door creaked and groaned like a creature from Hell as she slowly forced it open. It was just as dark in the passage it revealed, and the light revealed nothing. Aileen took a deep breath and walked into the passageway, then turned and pulled the door shut.

It closed much more quietly than it opened. That bothered her for a reason she couldn't explain.

Surrounded by pitch black once again, Aileen stayed absolutely still and listened carefully for any noise at all.

After a minute or two of silence, she finally heard it again: the girl's voice. It was a little louder than it had been before, and she guessed the girl was somewhere in her twenties.

"Is anybody there...?" The girl was calling out. "Please, we need help...!" Her voice was quiet and weak, but urgent. Throwing caution to the wind, Aileen called out.

"Hello?" A few seconds of silence without a response. Aileen repeated herself, louder, and received an answer. The girl sounded like she would cry from relief.

"Oh my God...help us, please! We're stuck in this room!" She yelled desperately. "A man is in here too, he's hurt really badly!"

"I'm coming!" Aileen knew she was using her voice too much. It hurt her throat every time. But she couldn't stay silent either. She carefully stepped forward in the darkness until she reached a wall and turned down a corridor.

She saw another light, but realized it seemed like a window on another door rather than a light bulb. She jogged over to it and looked in.

A young woman was kneeling down by a large, overweight man with a large mustache. His khaki pants were soaked with blood below one knee, he was sweating profusely, and his breathing was hard and quick. Aileen tried to open the door, but the knob wouldn't turn.

The girl glanced up at her and looked startled, then laughed almost hysterically.

"Thank God! The door's locked! Can you open it?" Aileen felt over the knob and turned the lock. The door opened with ease. Somehow, she'd expected more of a challenge.

Aileen ran into the room and knelt by the man, lifting up his pant leg. He had a long gash up his shin. The bleeding had already stopped, but there was a lot of it he'd lost, and the cut looked dirty.

"How did this happen?" She asked as she inspected it.

"I don't know," The girl replied, "he was like this when I woke up!" She looked up at Aileen, and something seemed to register in her mind, but she didn't say anything. "Do you know how to get out of here?"

"No." Aileen replied as she looked around the bare room. Her eyes focused on a pipe jutting from a wall, condensation rendering it covered in water droplets. She stood and wiped off some water onto her hand, then returned to the man and gently rubbed the cut with her hand, washing away some of the dirt and grime. "But we need to find a way out as soon as possible."

And then they both heard deep, raspy breathing from the doorway behind them. The two slowly turned to see a large man with reptilian skin glaring at them with beady black eyes from the hallway.

Color drained from Aileen's face as she whispered, "Oh shit..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to review!
> 
> For reference: Aileen and Aiden were 18 and 20 respectively when they had Roy, which makes them 35 and 37.


	25. Not Right

_Something isn't right._ Brax said quietly. Well, about as quiet as a voice in your mind can get.

"What is it?" Roy asked, ignoring the other people in the aisle when they started to stare at him.

_I'm not sure, but I feel it. Don't you?_

"Not really." But he was starting to. Something was wrong, and he had no idea what it might be. "Well, what should I do?"

_Hmm...nothing, for now. Hopefully we don't discover what's bothering us the hard way._

"We probably will, given we're working with _my_ luck here," Roy bent a bit to investigate all of the movies, the horror ones caught his eyes especially. "Do any of these look entertaining to you?"

_I was always a fan of folktales, really._

"Oh, like fairy tales? _Cinderella_ and _Snow White_?"

 _They made these..._ Roy felt momentarily dizzy, but it cleared after a moment. _These 'films' of those two stories? And give them to children?_ Brax sounded astonished.

"Well, more child friendly versions of them, but yes."

 _Quiet, Tim is nearby._ Roy went silent. He wondered why Brax wanted him to be silent because Tim was around, but didn't expect an answer. _I believe he's been watching us._

Without thinking, Roy turned around. "Tim?" He called out. He'd thought that Tim might be at the other side of the aisle, or in plain view. But he came around from another aisle, looking surprised.

"How did you know I was there?" He asked. Roy thought fast and spewed out the first lie he thought of.

"I didn't, I was hoping you were nearby. I was about to look for you." Hey, it was at least somewhat convincing. "Where's Jason?"

"He had to take a call from..." Tim lowered his voice. "A call from Artemis, and Bizarro always likes to talk to Jason for awhile."

"Bizarro? Lex Luthor and Superman's illegitimate test tube love child? _That_ Bizarro?" Tim stared at him. "What?"

"Nothing...anyway, I was thinking we should get you some new clothes. You can't keep wearing mine."

"Oh damn, I can't? I think I pull off your look pretty well," Roy grinned, hoping his slowly reddening face and ears weren't noticeable. Tim raised an eyebrow and smiled wryly.

"'My look', huh? What exactly _is_ my look?"

"Antisocial nerd with a frighteningly high intelligence that gives no fucks about whether or not people like him."

"...I _really_ wish I could refute that..." Tim muttered. "But I'm serious about getting you more clothes."

"Okay, fine," Roy smiled, but it was hard. The bad feeling he had was getting so awful that his heart was beating hard enough to physically _hurt_ , and he felt queasy. Tim noticed immediately.

"Are you okay?" Roy slowly nodded, then stopped and shook his head.

"No...I just have this really bad-" A gunshot blasted out in the store. It was followed by what felt like minutes of tense silence before another came and people started screaming. "Oh God, is that Jason?" But Tim was already running off.

"Stay out of sight!" He called back to Roy.

"But I-"

" _Just do it_!" And then Tim turned a corner and was gone.

"What do we do?" Roy asked Brax as he went around the aisle and pressed his back against the side of it.

_We follow him, of course._

"You're one sneaky effer, you know that?" He felt dizzy again for half a second.

_That's a rude thing to say, Roy._

"Ugh..." Roy jogged out from his (rather exposed, now that he thought about it) hiding place and turned the corner that Tim had. But the moment he did-

_Watch out._

-he vaporized just as a gunshot rang out, and a bullet whizzed right through him without any damage done.

"Woah!" He exclaimed as he reformed and looked at who had fired at him. Jason stood across the aisle, staring at him with wide eyes and a gun in one hand. Behind him laid several knocked out men in ski masks.

 _What do you know, this place_ was _mugged._

"Uh...sorry Roy," Jason put the gun away.

"Uh..." Roy had to take a second to formulate a sentence. "It's all right. You didn't hit me, so..." He turned away as Tim ran towards them. He started berating Jason for firing at Roy (and convincing the remaining witnesses to leave), but the teen zoned out and started speaking quietly to Brax. "Is that what you felt was wrong?"

 _I don't think so. It's not a feeling that something bad_ is _happening. It's a feeling that something_ will _happen. I know that you feel it too._

"Maybe that's because you're in my head. Has anyone ever told you that you're a bit paranoid?"

 _Say whatever you wish, but I know you feel it._ _You've felt it before, when-_

"When Nathan died..." Roy finished in a whisper. He turned around to see Tim and Jason staring at him. "What?"

_Tim looked at Jason, and he knew that the older male had heard it as well this time. He gave a slight shake of his head, and Jason got the message._

_"Nothing, kid. Let's get you some new clothes while Timmy waits for the cops, alright?" Roy looked at Jason, then Tim, and slowly nodded. As Jason led Roy back towards the clothing aisles, Tim immediately started working on why Roy might be talking to himself._

_He hadn't shown any other signs of mental illness, so he doubted that it was that. Then he thought it might_ actually _be a sentient entity speaking to him, but-_

_The DNA results popped into the forefront of his mind, and it clicked together like a buckle._

_Roy wasn't a meta human...but he had superpowers...and two separate DNA sequences..._

_He really_ did _have someone in his head, didn't he?_

_Tim could hear the police sirens approaching, and left as the officers entered the clothes shop._

_**The rain had lightened up for the time being, and it was all tense silence between Keith's group.** _

_**Alice and Sean were sitting together next to the small fire they'd started and were talking in whispers. It triggered the paranoia in Keith for a moment, but he then imagined them talking about their relationship or something and the humor he found in the idea chased the bad thoughts away.** _

_**Evelyn and Damian seemed to be locked in a surprisingly civil conversation, which was odd given their clashing personalities. He looked like he was venting to her about something or other, and she was listening patiently.** _

_**So, where was the tension coming from? He wasn't sure. Maybe he just felt left out, but what could he say? He didn't want to worry them by making the subject of his dreams known.** _

_**"There's some people coming over..." Alice said. Keith, and everyone else, looked at the gate.** _

_**Two women were slowly approaching the scrapyard gate. One was helping the other limp along towards them. Both were soaking wet, and blood was staining their clothes. The first had black hair and pale skin, the other had dark brown hair**_ _**and a more fair skin tone.**_

_**Everyone stood almost at the same time and went to the gate, Sean almost slipping in the shallow but slick mud.** _

_**The two women looked up, and Keith froze. He immediately recognized the rounded face, the plain yet attractive features, and (especially) the eyes.** _

_**He may as well have been looking at a female, if older, version of Roy.** _

_**"Please..." She whispered with a voice that was rough and hoarse. "We need help..."** _


	26. No God Can Save You

When they finally got back to Tim's house, it was almost nightfall, and he headed straight for his friend's laptop.

That thought gave him pause. _Was_ Tim his friend? He wanted to think so. He considered Tim a friend, but wasn't having friends a two way street? You had to like them, and they had to like you.

But the more time Roy spent with Tim, the less and less sure he was that what he felt for Tim was just platonic.

Great. Chalk that up as another reason to hate himself.

_Hate's a strong word, Roy..._

"Butt out." He said harshly as he opened up the internet browser. He didn't give a damn if Tim heard at the moment.

Did Tim like him? Probably a one in a billion chance. One in a million of Tim considering him a friend.

'Do you have nothing better to do than just sit there?' That still ate at him. Tim had been in a bad mood when he said it...but that didn't mean anything good.

Roy knew he was a lot of things people might have a reason to hate, but he didn't want one of them to be that he gets in the way.

Why was he even using Tim's laptop? Tim would be able to do this more successfully than him.

He slowly closed the browser window and shut the laptop, sliding it away from him.

Instead he just sat there, letting the thoughts floating around his head stew until Brax tried to break it.

_You've always been too hard on yourself._

"Fuck you..." Roy whispered. He knew that it was true, but that didn't mean that he wanted to hear it.

_You can't keep thinking this way, Roy. You're heading down a slippery slope._

"I guess I'll have to learn how to ski, then." Roy stood up and walked to the kitchen, where Tim was watching a pot of water slowly begin to boil. He then tipped a narrow box, and noodles fell out into it. He looked at Roy and smiled a little.

"Hey," he greeted as he turned away from the stove to face him fully, "are you feeling all right?"

"Yeah..." Roy replied somewhat awkwardly, "yeah, I'm fine."

An only semi-comfortable silence fell between them for a few seconds. They began to speak at the same time.

"We need to talk." It came out in almost perfect unison, eliciting a short laugh from both of them.

"You first," Tim insisted. Roy nodded and took a deep breath.

"I know why I have two DNA sets."

"I do too. The voice in your head?" Roy stared at Tim, stunned. He must've looked hilarious, because Tim grinned at him (an action that twisted Roy's stomach into nervous knots). "It wasn't all that hard to figure out, once we heard you talking to yourself."

"Oh. Uh...okay." Roy looked down at the table as he slowly sat down. A slightly more relaxed silence followed for about a minute. "Are we friends?" He asked quietly. He didn't look up, but he knew that Tim was staring at him.

"What brought this on?" He asked. Roy just shrugged, too afraid that he'd do something stupid or embarrassing if he talked more. "Well," Tim went on slowly, "do you _want_ us to be friends?" Roy nodded, suddenly very interested in a picture on the wall of an oceanside town. "Then I guess we are. Was this bothering you that much?" Tim sounded incredulous, but also...a little sad. "Roy, can I ask _you_ something now?"

"...yeah, of course," Roy muttered, still refusing to look up. Tim was silent for a few seconds.

"Did you have friends at school?"

"No." It slipped out before he could really stop it, but then it all came tumbling out. "There were people I talked to, but that was out of necessity."

"Roy...now I need to tell you something, okay?" Tim said softly. He slowly stepped over to Roy and knelt down to his level. "Look at me." Roy slowly did, but it was weirdly difficult to keep the teen's steely blue gaze that sent his stomach into nervous cartwheels. "You don't have to be alone."

"I'm not," Roy replied, puzzled. "You're right here with me. Then there's Jason, and-"

"That's not what I mean." Tim slowly shook his head. "That's not what I mean at all." He leaned in a bit closer, his eyes never leaving Roy's. "You don't have to go your whole life feeling alone. Like you're worthless, or like you deserve what happens to you."

"I know I don't..." Roy replied weakly, immediately struck by the thought that he sounded selfish and stuck up. "But it's really not a big deal, Tim...I'm fine..."

"That's the first thing about having a friend, Roy. You tell them when you..." He trailed off and sighed, articulating himself. "When you feel like everything that happens is your fault, you need a friend to tell you that it isn't. And that's what I'm telling you now, Roy. _None of this is your fault._ Okay?" Tim's expression was as hard as stone. "Not any of it."

Roy hadn't realized he was crying until Tim pulled him into a gentle, notably hesitant hug. As Roy silently let himself cry, Brax finally spoke up in his head, with but a single sentence:

_I think he needs a friend as much as you do._

That was all the incentive Roy needed to hug Tim back as tightly as his thin arms would allow him to without causing any pain.

Because that's what friends did.

**(Author's Note: I know that this was probably _painfully_ cheesy, but I was in a feelsy mood so don't judge me bitches XD)**

She wasn't sure why she was telling them this. She doubted that they'd believe her. But then again, this _was_ Gotham City. Less explainable things had happened before. So, sitting next to the fire with an arm around the silent Amber, she told them what happened.

_None of them moved, and Aileen almost didn't dare breathe as she stared up at Killer Croc, who towered over all three of them. His nostrils flared, and she couldn't tell if that meant he was angry, hungry...or just smelled the blood._

_Just as she started to try to think of a way out of this mess, he spoke to them in a deep, raspy voice._

_Where are we?" His tone was vaguely threatening, as if he didn't entirely suspect them but was still wary at the same time._

_"I...I don't know. But we're in a lot of danger unless we leave."_

And maybe not even then, _she thought, but didn't add. "Do you have any idea how to get out?"_ _The reptilian man shook his head._ _"Then can you help us, please?" He seemed to be considering the request, maybe deciding if they were worth the trouble or would rather just eat them. Finally, he nodded and stepped past Aileen. Amber almost_ jumped _out of his way as he lifted Vernon easily and (surprisingly gently) rested the man over his broad shoulder._

_"Which way do we go?" He asked, his beady yet eerily human gaze settlig on Aileen. She looked at Amber, then peered outside. She'd come in from her right...and that thing was that way..._

_"This way." She went left. "Be as quiet as possible."_

_So they walked. With a small chill, she realized that even with his size and the extra weight, Killer Croc was easily the most quiet of all of them. Amber's was the loudest, but even that was barely audible. Croc made no noise at all. She suppressed the paranoia-induced thoughts that gave rise to quickly. For now at least, she would trust him not to attack them._

_And they weren't attacked._

_Until about two minutes later, when that Hellish voice boomed through the tunnel from behind them._

**_"You're all going to die in here!"_ ** _Croc suddenly grunted in pain, dropping Vernon onto his back._

_"Fucker bit me...!" He growled. He, Amber, and Aileen stared at Vernon's eyes, which were now glowing white. His lips stretched into a wicked grin as he slowly sat up, his blank stare somehow feeling as if it were drilling into her soul. Blindingly fast, he reached out and grabbed Amber's ankle. She screamed and fell back, kicking at him until Croc pulled her away and helped her stand, but not without Vernon twisting her ankle painfully with a sadistic laugh as she yelped in pain._

_A second later, they heard unsteady footsteps, as if the person was limping, approaching from the same direction as the voice. They were coming_ fast _too._

_"RUN!" Aileen yelled. She grabbed Amber's hand and whirled around, sprinting as fast as she could. Croc must've thrown caution to the wind as well, because his footfalls were now every bit as loud as theirs._

_There were a many twists, turns, and loops. It was by pure luck that they didn't end up finding a dead end or a locked door (she bumped into walls a few times, though). She barely noticed that the further they went, the more lights that were active. Soon, seeing where they were going was much easier, and she ran as fast as she possibly could. Croc spoke as they approached a corridor with three different ways to take._

_"Go straight, then turn left!" She immediately went that way. Soon, Aileen realized that Croc must've began to recognize their surroundings, because he was soon calling out directions at every turn._

_After what felt like almost twenty minutes, they were dashing down a tunnel towards a ladder that lead up, and she could hear traffic._

_"Go! Climb!" Croc called out. Aileen stopped at the ladder and released Amber's hand, quickly scaling the ladder and pushing up the manhole cover, moving it over. She hesitated for a moment, then climbed after a car passed over the hole. Then she quickly climbed out and reached down, helping Amber up. Even from outside, she could hear Vernon and Aiden catching up to them. Croc climbed up himself, then covered the manhole again._

_It took all three of them to keep it closed as one of the possessed men tried to push it open, a fact that visibly surprised Croc but_ terrified _Aileen and Amber._

_Eventually, the two stopped._

**_"I'll kill all of you soon...and no God can save you from what I have planned..."_ ** _The voice promised as the Vernon and Aiden left._

_She and Amber accompanied Croc to the other side of town, which the large lizardman didn't seem to mind._

_"This is the sewer system," he informed them as he uncovered the manhole. "That...thing is using the tunnels for the water mains throughout the city."_

_"Thank you," Aileen said as he began his descent down. He paused, but didn't look at her. "It won't be able to capture you again as long as you stay aware of it. Don't let your guard down if you can help it."_

_"..." He nodded and climbed down into the sewers. Amber helped Aileen recover the manhole._

_"What do we do now...?" Amber asked, putting most of her weight on her uninjured foot. Aileen wrapped the girl's arm around her shoulders to help her and looked straight ahead at a sign that pointed towards the Gotham Scrapyard._

_"We find somewhere to rest." She replied, adrenaline finally being replaced by exhaustion and fatigue._

_So they walked, their senses on high alert for that monster that was planning to do who-knew-what to them._

_Despite his history, she found herself hoping that Killer Croc...that Waylon Jones...stayed safe._


	27. Much To Teach You

"What exactly do you want me to do here?" Tim asked as he looked at Roy.

"I'm not sure exactly, uh...Brax says that where he came from was cold most of the time...but there were a lot of forests."

"That doesn't narrow down the search by very much, Roy."

"Just google some countries that fit that description, then!" Roy sat down on the bed by Tim and gazed at the laptop screen. "This is important if we want to find out what exactly Brax is."

"Does he not know?"

"Nothing really informative, no." Roy paused, then sat a bit straighter. "Ireland. Try Ireland." Tim nodded and did an image search. Immediately, Roy heard Brax speak up excitedly.

_That's it, that's where I'm from!_

"That's the right place," Roy stated. Tim nodded again.

"So, are we going there or are you just doing this for confirmation?" He asked. Roy looked at him, offhandedly aware of how close together they were and feeling a blush creep into his face and ears.

"You'd...actually let me go?" He asked quietly.

"I'd go with you of course, but yeah." Tim smiled a little bit, and Roy found himself smiling back. A comfortable silence settled over them both for a few seconds. Roy was just about to tell Tim that he didn't have a passport when they both heard the front door open.

"Tim! Roy!" Dick's voice rang out.

"We're in here!" Tim answered. The raven haired man appeared in the doorway momentarily, his eyes immediately locking onto Roy.

"We found your mom."

* * *

 _ **Everyone was nearly dead silent, sitting around the fire. Aileen and Amber both had distant looks in their eyes, as if they were mentally somewhere else.**_ _**Honestly, the amount of awkward was nearly painful to be near.**_

_**Luckily, a car drove up to the gate within a few minutes. A handsome black haired man got out with Roy and Tim, then the three ran over under the shed.** _

_**Keith didn't like the look on Roy's face, which was really no look at all; his expression was dull and blank. It was a little creepy to look at.** _

_**The good thing was that once he saw his mother, his expression changed. The bad thing was that it was an angry expression. No, not just angry...furious, upset, and sad all at once.** _

_**It was silent, other than the rapid tapping of rain on the roof, for several seconds before Roy spoke.** _

_**"Are you both all right?" He sounded nearly apathetic, but at least it wasn't an angry outburst. That would send the whole situation straight to Hell.** _ _**As it was, tension sparked in the air like static before Tim cleared his throat and spoke.** _

_**"Mrs. O'Hara, you should take Amber to a hospital..." He was looking at Amber's slightly twisted ankle. Aileen slowly nodded and helped Amber stand. "Dick and I will drive you there. Roy, stay here for now." Roy just nodded wordlessly, waiting until they could no longer hear the car driving away before he spoke.** _

_**"How have you all been?"** _

_**"Well, that's not awkward at all..." Alice muttered. "This is already starting to be a long night..."** _

* * *

_Are you all right?_ Brax asked him quietly as he curled up next to Keith.

 _About as all right as I can be,_ he responded, _which isn't very all right at all._

"This sucks balls," He said out loud.

"Just because a kid's here doesn't mean you have to censor yourself," Sean told him. Roy raised an eyebrow at him.

"Your funeral. This sucks Joker's pasty white-"

"TMI, dude!" Keith interrupted with a gag, but it was clear that he was also attempting to hide a laugh.

"What am I allowed to say, then?" Roy asked impatiently.

"...fuck," Damian spoke up after a short silence. Everyone looked at him. "You can say fuck."

"Well, this pisses me the fuck off." Roy muttered.

"Why is that?" Alice asked. "I mean, yeah, she's not the best mom, but she's-"

"Don't you _dare_ tell me that she's 'been through a lot'," Roy glared at her. "If anyone gets to say that they've been through a lot, it's _me._ "

"You're not the only one with problems, Roy." Alice said flatly, her eyes narrowed.

"Pretty sure I'm the only one with some godawful creature from Hell systematically kidnapping people I've interacted with to do who-knows-what to them."

"...good point. Anybody want a drink?" Alice reached into a small green pack next to her. "I've got soda."

"You're asking if I want to drown my problems with _soda_?"

"Dude, sugar solves everything!" Alice exclaimed.

"I'm fine. I'll just get some sleep." He laid down and closed his eyes.

_Sweet dreams, Roy..._

* * *

_The drive was silent for the first few minutes before Dick spoke to her._

_"Are you okay, Mrs. O'Hara?"_

_"Aileen," she said quietly as she glanced at Amber, who was asleep next to her. "And I'm fine. I didn't get hurt."_

_"No, I meant...are you okay, uh...emotionally."_

_"That's a loaded question, I'm afraid. My son is seventeen, but what feels like only yesterday he was still seven. It feels like yesterday that my mother died. Whatever that thing was, it took away ten years of my life, of my husband's life. Of my little boy's life." She went quiet, but noticed that the shorter boy shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "Is he happy?" She asked._

_"I don't know, Mrs. O'Hara," the shorter one responded carefully, "but I've tried to help him whenever I can." She nodded._

_"Thank you very much." She felt tears welling in her eyes and began to wipe them away, then stopped. She'd always hated to cry, always telling herself when she felt that telltale warmth in her eyes that whatever had happened to her wasn't bad enough to warrant tears. But, just this once, she thought she deserved to shed a few. Both of the boys in the front were silent as she let them flow out, covering her mouth with her hand so that, if she did end up sobbing, she would be able to muffle it._

_Her son probably hated her. God knew what that thing might've made her do to him. There was no way of knowing what kind of damage had been done to her sweet little boy._

_Her husband...her caring, brave husband...was still under that Hellish creature's control._

_And Ari hadn't spoken to her at all since she woke up. She couldn't even remember what Ari's presence felt like, and that frightened her. Had it destroyed Ari when it invaded her mind? And what about Gav?_

_All she could do was wait...and, hopefully, become Roy's mother again._

_Assuming that he would ever be able to forgive her for what she had done._

* * *

Roy had no idea where he was, but he realized soon that he must've been dreaming. He had that weird, out-of-body feeling, but at the same time he could feel the soft grass on his bare feet, sensed the warmth of sun on his skin. The second thing he saw was how beautiful his surroundings were. All he'd ever known was the dirty streets and grey skies of Gotham City, but wherever he was now was absolutely gorgeous. The sun shone brightly, not a cloud in the turquoise sky. He stood in a clearing filled with emerald green grass and brightly coloured wildflowers. He'd never been to this place before...

"But I have," Brax's voice resounded from behind him, more clearly than ever. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"...yes," Roy responded quietly, his voice soft and quiet. He began to turn around until a warm, large hand laid on his shoulder.

"Don't turn around," Brax pleaded. "I don't want you to see me yet. I..." He trailed off, his voice melancholy as he continued. "I don't want to scare you."

"Why would you scare me?" Roy asked, but obeyed the request. "You've been protecting me all this time, right? I don't think you'd ever be able to-"

"We don't have time for this, Roy. We can't speak like this for long. It's amazing I was able to find out how this time. Just listen to me, okay? This is my home...or it leads up to it. Turn to your right, but not so far you'll be able to-"

"-able to see you, I get it," Roy cut him off, surprising even himself with his bitter tone of voice. He felt Brax wince behind him and felt guilty as he turned slightly to the right. "I'm sorry."

"Forget it. The path, do you see it?" Roy looked at the beaten dirt path through the thick copse of trees surrounding the clearing and nodded. "My...our home is at the end of that path. We would all play here when we were...when we were here."

"Why do I need to come here?" Roy asked. _And why can't I look at you?_ Although he didn't ask the second question aloud, he had a feeling that Brax knew he wanted to anyway.

"There might still be others here. Others like me. They can help you...but at a price. We all must have a price to merge with our hosts."

"What was your price?" Roy asked before he could decide that he'd rather not know.

"I...you'll know when you're ready to." Brax answered evasively. "For now, you need to know something: You can do more than this. You've only scratched the surface of what we can do together." Suddenly, the hand on Roy's shoulder felt icy cold. "We're capable of more than just taking over objects and humans. _Much_ more..." It was at this point that he realized something that chilled him to the bone.

Something about this wasn't right, and he couldn't quite figure out what it might be. But all of a sudden the warm and peaceful surroundings in the dream felt sinister and cold.

"Let me go," Roy said, far more calmly than he felt. "Take your hand off of me, Brax." Just for a moment, he felt claws dig into his skin before the hand retreated from him.

"Just keep it in mind, Roy," Brax's voice was right by his ear now, just a whisper. "I still have much to teach you."

"I'm fine with what I know now." Brax chuckled.

"Oh Roy..." He said with amusement, and it was now that Roy knew what was wrong: this wasn't Brax. "Roy, I have had many hosts, but they're all disposable. But you..." A strong arm, equally as cold as the hand, wrapped around Roy's stomach to lock him in place. "I have something _special_ in mind for you..." It was a voice like his father's, just before he'd begin to shout and beat him senseless.

Roy panicked immediately. "Get off of me!" He shut his eyes tight and jammed his elbow backwards into what might've been the thing's stomach, loosening his grip enough to tear away.

He could hear Brax now, and his voice was almost hysterical with fear as he began to yell. "Wake up, Roy! Wake up _right now_!"

* * *

Roy gasped and jerked upwards, thrashing and hitting something solidly.

"Ow!" Keith yelped. "What the Hell?!" He sat up, rubbing his side. "Jesus, Roy, you have some seriously wicked nails!" Roy looked at him and slowly began to calm down, his face flushing as he saw that everyone else was awake and staring at them.

"I...I'm sorry," He apologized quickly. "But I...I need to find Tim."

"I'm right here Roy," Tim called out by the fire, offering him a smile as he cooked something in a pot over the fire. "What's up?" He sounded cheerful enough, but Roy could see how worried he really was.

"We have to leave now," Roy told him, unable to keep the edge of panic from his voice. "Right now."

_Aileen, Roy._

_Oh my God, Brax, is that you? Are you all right?_

_I'm fine, but we have to go now. Take your mother with you._

"Mama...I mean, my mother needs to come with us." Tim stared at him for a moment, then nodded.

"She stayed overnight at the hospital with Amber. I'll go get her, and then we'll leave." Tim stood and put the pot on the ground by the fire, then walked to his car.

As he left, he suddenly thought back to what Keith had said.

'Jesus, Roy, you have some seriously wicked nails!'

He didn't _have_ sharp or long nails. He always bit on them.

_'I still have much to teach you, Roy...'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a laptop for perfect attendance at school and my God I missed writing this way. Don't forget to review guys! And if there's anything you think I should work on when I write, let me know!


	28. Slieveanorra

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo, boy...I had no clue what to do about all of the things I don't know about Ireland XD I just researched stuff and then wrote.
> 
> Fair warning: Includes forgery of a passport in this chapter XD

"Where exactly in Ireland are we headed?" Roy asked. They were sitting in the car so that Tim was driving ( _Does he even have a license?_ ), Roy was in the passenger seat, and Aileen in the back.

"Slieveanorra forest." Tim replied vacantly as he drove. He was either _really_ trying to focus on the road (which Roy seriously doubted), or he was thinking about something. Almost certainly the latter. There was hardly any time that Tim _didn't_ seem to be thinking about one thing or planning another. He didn't want to ask, or he might piss Tim off, and that was something he really would rather avoid. He couldn't just sit there silently; he had too many questions, too many thoughts that he wanted to express. But if Tim didn't want to be talked to, then the only alternative was to talk to his mom. He wasn't ready to do that. And besides, what would he talk about? Why he'd probably hit truancy at school? That would be interesting. _'Hey mom, you're probably gonna have the Board of Education on your ass soon. Why? Well, I finally got sick of dear old Papa's bullshit and-'_

 _Tim's talking to you,_ Brax alerted him quietly. Roy looked over at the raven haired male with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, what was that?" He asked. Tim rolled his eyes, but smiled a little.

"You must have seriously fun conversations with your friend, huh?"

"I don't know if I'd call him my friend, really. I haven't known he was hitching a ride in my head for very long." Roy responded with a shrug. "And our talks are usually pretty short. I was just zoning out. What were you saying?"

"It was a picture of Slieveanorra forest I had pulled up when you said it was the right place. I didn't want to show him other photos and possibly make him second-guess himself, so we're kind of taking a chance here." He looked into the rearview mirror. "Are you all right, Aileen?" She was staring out the window vacantly, and smiled at Tim in response.

"I'm fine. Keep your eyes on the road."

"Yes ma'am." Tim replied with just a touch of humor in his tone. He paused for a moment before speaking again. "You...wouldn't happen to know what's going on with Roy, would you?" Now she looked surprised...before looking down at her lap. Her nails had grown long in the years she had spent under that creature's control, but she had already begun to bite them down to a much shorter length. Like mother, like son.

"I...I'd rather have this conversation when we're in Ireland, please." She replied quietly. Roy felt a spark of resentment in his stomach, but managed to resist snapping at her. It didn't stop his tone from sounding a little irked though.

"If you know why the Hell I can do what I can, then _I'd_ rather have this conversation _now._ " She didn't even look in his direction, let alone respond. The spark returned, igniting into a flame that made his fuse light up. It was burning fast. "This isn't a request, _Aileen._ " Now she did look up, but just looked dully surprised for a moment before looking down again and beginning to bite her fingernails.

"Roy, calm down." Tim said firmly. "Just let it go for now. We have time." Roy looked out the window...then down at his hands.

_'Ow! What the Hell?! Jesus, Roy, you have some seriously wicked nails!'_

Roy's nails were as short as he'd always kept them, more out of habit than the nervous tick that it used to be. But in that instant that he had woken up, they might not have been.

_What's happening to me, Brax? What does that thing want with me?_

But Brax was silent. Roy could feel him there, in the back of his mind like a repressed, but persistent thought. Like a scary story that won't leave your mind as you step into a dark room, or a news report about a killer in your town as you walk the streets alone. Which wasn't very accurate to the circumstance. Brax didn't scare Roy at all. On the contrary, it was when he spoke to Brax that he felt the safest...other than being with Tim, maybe. He just wasn't speaking, which was somehow worse than him being gone. Maybe he was recharging.

So all Roy could do, for now, was stare at his hands and wonder if he would soon grow real claws.

* * *

_She's been trying to speak to Ari the entire drive towards the airport, but had been met with only silence. Part of her acknowledged that it was probably a wasted effort; the best (and least likely) case scenario was that Ari somehow managed to leave Aileen's mind, or had been hiding within her for so long that she might not be able to return for an extended period. Worst case? She'd been destroyed. There wasn't much Aileen could do about it one way, and absolutely nothing she could do in the other._

_She knew Roy was scared. She knew that he was angry. But she was tired. She'd been feeling like she'd woken up from a coma: her whole body felt unresponsive, and her mind sluggish. Assuming this wasn't permanent, it would take awhile for her to fully be herself again. All movement felt like she was moving through water. Not necessarily_ slow, _but definitely impeded slightly. And she wanted to sleep. Oh God, did she just want to close her eyes and fall asleep._

_But she was afraid. Afraid that she would dream of that thing, of its sick grin twisting her love's features, of it taking over Vernon's still bleeding body. If the makeshift bandage hadn't helped as much as she hoped it did, then he had bled out regardless of that thing's control...although she didn't know if that would force it to abandon his body._

_She wondered if he had a family. She wanted to look. She wanted to stop the car, find a newspaper, and see what that monster had done to yet another family. But part of it was her fault. She'd always thought they were strong enough. They all did. They all thought they had a handle on it, and let their guard down._

_And their lives were nearly ruined (and other's lives taken) because of it. She wasn't sure that she could live with that._

_She kept trying, repeating Ari's name over and over again, to no response. She sounded like a broken record, even to herself, but she couldn't do anything else._

_So she called. And called. And called._

* * *

The car ride must've been an hour, maximum, but it felt like just a few minutes before Tim parked the car and announced that they'd arrived. Brax still wasn't talking, so Roy knew by now that he wasn't out of energy. Had he said or done anything to upset him? He didn't think so.

"Roy, come on." Tim said as he got out of the car. Roy nodded and opened the door. He tied to get out, got stuck, then remembered the seatbelt and undid it before getting out and closing the door while Tim opened the door for Aileen. She gave him a quiet 'thank you', but still wouldn't look at Roy. That was fine. He could play the Silent Treatment game too, since everyone seemed keen on doing it but Tim.

"I don't have a passport, Tim..." He muttered as he walked alongside the older (he assumed) teen.

"I know. I already made you one. Aileen and I have our own already." Tim offered him a surprisingly relaxed smile. "Just act like you don't have anything to hide, and you'll be fine." Roy nodded a bit as Tim handed him the passport.

"Tim, you're a genius." He said with a grin. Tim grinned back in a way that let Roy know Tim was fully aware of the fact. "Well, looks like I was wrong; you're not immune to being a cocky jerk either." Tim laughed.

"Should I be offended?" He asked.

"Depends. Does the thought of sharing a trait with Damian bother you?"

"Yeah, I'm offended." Both laughed, and Roy felt the growing knot of tension in his stomach ease a little. Then his face flushed as he stuffed his hand into his jacket pocket.

He'd almost grabbed Tim's hand.

_Being alone with him for so long is going to be harder than it used to be, huh?_

_Yeah, you've got it pretty bad for him._

_Oh, so_ now _you want to talk?_

Brax went silent again, so apparently not.

Well, at least Aileen would be with them, right?

* * *

_Tim had noticed Roy's hand twitch towards his before being shoved into his jacket, but didn't want to say anything and embarrass him._

_He didn't see what was so embarrassing, though. If it made Roy feel better, what harm was holding a friend's, or a brother's, hand? Admittedly, he'd never done it himself. If he ever held Dick's, he'd probably assume something was wrong or that he was upset (that and he didn't want Dick to think he'd forgiven him, even after all this time). If he ever did it to Jason, the guy would probably cut off his hand or shove him away. And Damian was just out of the question._

_But Roy? Roy was someone he could see himself doing that for. He didn't know why. He hadn't known Roy for long, and a few days of living together hadn't really given him much information about the brunet, other than he liked to space out a lot and hated having short hair (something he had to admit he was guilty of too). Maybe it was because they had a similar background. Well, not as far as parents, really...more that they both had begun to find a family that cared more for them than their own seemed to._

_He wanted Roy to know that people cared about him. He hadn't been told that, from what Tim had seen._

_"You can hold my hand for a bit," he muttered in the other boy's ear, "if it'll make you feel better." Roy looked at him, his face slowly reddening, then looked down again. Tim looked ahead and walked into the airport with Roy beside him and Aileen behind._

_And when he felt Roy's hand slide into his, he squeezed it gently._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To make it clear to a couple of my readers, this will NOT end up with any couples, slash pairing or otherwise.
> 
> I don't really see the problem with it, but whatever. Tim's feelings for Roy are strictly platonic, so allow me to treat myself to a little ship tease now and then XD


	29. Practice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, I didn't think this story would get so long XD not that I'm complaining, but it surprises me.

They were already two hours into the flight, and Brax still wasn't speaking to him. Roy had gone past irritation into worry an hour and a half ago. To distract himself for a moment, he looked at Tim. "How long is this going to take again?" He asked for the second time. Tim rolled his eyes with a small smile.

"You're a lot like Garfield."

"Who?"

"Never mind. It's a seven hour flight to Dublin, and then a three hour drive to Slieveanorra from there...but we'll be staying at a hotel about twelve miles from the forest." He waved off Roy's worried expression. "I have the money for a taxi and booked our stay, relax." He looked out the window at the clear sky, paused, and glanced at Roy warily. "Unless you're scared of heights?"

"I jump off bridges for kicks, Tim."

"Oh." And then Roy saw it click in his head. "Is _that_ what you were doing when we first met?" Roy nodded.

"I'd do my thing before I hit the water, but yeah. I didn't do it _often,_ but that wasn't the first time." He looked to their left and saw Aileen staring at him. She quickly averted her gaze, but she looked as concerned as Tim. He looked straight ahead instead, then glowered a little. "I'm _fine_ Tim, stop looking at me like that." Unlike his mother, Tim didn't look away.

"You're not as hard to figure out as you think, you know that?" He asked bluntly.

"Of course I'm not. I have nothing I want to hide." Which was a lie fatter than a Blobfish, but Tim didn't need to know that. "What exactly is our plan here, anyway? Wander the forest aimlessly?"

"My working theory is that once we get there, Brax will remember the way."

"He remembers the area nearby, anyway. He showed me." Tim looked at him with a small frown.

"When did he show you that?"

"Last night, in a dream." Except for the part about the other thing in his dream and the claws, Roy explained his dream and the area he had been in.

"So he remembers the immediate vicinity, but not the way to get there, huh?" Tim looked deep in thought for a moment, and Roy rubbed his eyes.

"Ugh, I wish _he_ could just talk to you so I don't have to be the messenger."

"No need," Aileen spoke up, "I know where to go. It's been a long time, but I think I'll know what to do once we reach the forest." Roy made a point of not responding or looking at her, but Tim nodded and thanked her. They then lapsed into silence, and Roy was becoming less and less sure he would be able to stand the rest of the flight.

* * *

After another hour, Roy was getting stir-crazy. He needed to do something. Talking to his mother was out of the question, and just _looking_ at Tim sent his stomach into backflips.

 _Practice._ Brax advised suddenly. _When in doubt, practice your skills._ Roy briefly considered giving him the silent treatment, but decided that it wasn't a good time to be petty and instead mentally motioned for Brax to continue. To his delight, it worked, and Brax went on as if Roy had talked (thought?) to him. _Remember that statue in the park? Try to use that ability on a person._

_Easy for you to say. I don't even remember how I did it. I panicked._

_Just look someone in the eye and tell them what you want them to do, and I'll handle the rest._

_Should I tell them to in my head, or out loud?_ Silence, and Roy got the feeling that Brax was holding onto his patience by a thread. _Sorry, that was a dumb question._

_Forget about it. Just do it, Roy._

_Who, though..._ He looked around briefly. There was a flight attendant a few seats ahead, but that would attract the most attention...ooh, maybe he could find one of those jackasses complaining about a baby that's onboard. There was always one of those, right? So he looked around, scanning each face he saw, but was disappointed not to see anyone like that. _Of course the world stops being shitty when I don't want it to._ He jumped a bit when the flight attendant spoke next to him.

"Can I get you two anything?" She smiled sweetly. Roy stared up at her, their eyes locking. She looked tired...he smiled at her. _Take a break and have some coffee._ He felt a small tugging sensation in his gut, and then the flight attendant's eyes turned blood red and she walked away slowly. _How was that?_

 _A good start. Nice work._ Roy smiled and looked at Tim, the smile immediately disappearing from his face. Tim was giving him a harsh glare.

"What did you just do to her?" He asked. Roy's stomach tightened into a knot, and it took him a second to formulate an actual sentence in anything but nervous gibberish.

"Nothing bad, I just...I just told her to take a break. She looked tired..." He replied quietly. Tim sighed rubbed his eyes.

"Fine. If she gets in trouble, it's on you." He paused for a second, as if to let that sink in. Roy scowled a bit, and he wasn't sure if the insult he thought of ( _Self-righteous bastard_ ) came from himself or Brax. "How did you do that, anyway?" It seemed curiosity won over.

"I did it at the statue in the park. I just have to look a person in the eyes and think about what I want them to do." Tim hummed.

"But a statue isn't a person, Roy."

"No, but...I guess maybe it's close enough to work?" Roy shrugged. "I learned how to do this literally two minutes ago, I don't know the rules for it."

"I really don't think you should've done that..." Tim said quietly.

"Why not?"

"Because that thing that's after you somehow knew who you had possessed before. Amber and Vernon? So...what if it can track when you use your powers somehow?" Roy felt the color drain from his face, and looked over to see Aileen in a similar state of fear. "What if it knows where we're going?"


	30. The Glade

That clearing again. The warmth of the sun, the sound of wind rustling leaves and of rushing water, the smell of wildflowers. Just like he remembered.

_But where?_

The dirt path to the right, with an odd, translucent, shimmering film seeming to hang like a curtain where the path met the treeline. It rippled like water, but he knew that if he were really there, he wouldn't be able to see it.

_But where is it? We need to find it soon. All this nostalgia doesn't matter if it catches up to us._

Clear, cloudy sky, but only above the clearing. Clouds part and circumvent around the area. An obvious way to spot it when nearby.

_Okay, I can do without the passive-aggressive, Brax._

A few, brightly colored dots and blurs raise from the wildflower beds, fluttering and floating around. Insects? No, too...too graceful in movement, and they fly straight up and around in delicate arcs. They'll show the way. They and the animals will show the-

"Anything yet?" Tim interrupted, and the vision faded as quickly as it had been conjured in Roy and Brax's shared memories. Roy opened his eyes and sat up in his bed inside of the hotel room. Tim was sitting at a table with Aileen, eyeing him impatiently. His thick obsidian colored hair fell over his forehead, swept over just right so show his blue eyes. _Focus, Roy, focus._ Roy dumbly shook his head, color creeping up into his cheeks.

"A few more details, but nothing concrete. Something about animals, and...and...some kind of…" He almost said what he'd thought he'd seen, that the _flowers themselves_ were moving, but decided against it. Aileen looked at Tim sternly.

"You can't rush this kind of thing, Tim." Since they'd arrived, color had come back to her face, and her already beautiful features seemed almost regal. She'd tied up her hair into a haphazard ponytail of springy curls that seemed ready to break the rubber band as she glanced back down at the map of Slieveanorra. "Brax will remember when he remembers. No sooner."

"But who knows how long that will take? We can't just walk into the forest and hope that works!" He glared down at the map. "And this doesn't show any kind of clearing like Brax has been telling us!"

"The clouds part above it, so the sky above the area is always clear. Can you see anything like that out the window or something?" Roy asked as he slid off of the bed and joined them at the table. Tim shook his head.

"I looked already. I'd have noticed something that obvious." Tim looked at Aileen. "You've been there before, right? Can't _you_ help us?" She shook her head.

"I have, but my Aoibheann and Darragh always had a drawn map. The place has a…" She trailed off, but Roy had a feeling that she was about to say 'magical'. "It has a funny way of escaping your memory once you leave it. We won't notice the clouds parting until we're very close. Animals won't show us the route in the way you're probably expecting. They'll watch us from the distance, but they'll form the _outline_ of a path." She looked at Tim. "Stay close to us and quiet. You're an uninvited guest in a place where privacy is the _modus operandi._ " She glanced at her son, then quickly looked away. Roy didn't want to admit that the action hurt him a bit. "Elroy, Brax is with you, so you will lead, to show that you're here for your own sake. We can't show any sign of ulterior motive."

"And what happens if we do?" Roy asked her, his curiosity forcing him to verbally acknowledge his mother for the first time since they left the airport. This time she looked him in the eyes. Roy felt that familiar jolt of fear, but he almost grinned involuntarily when he met the gorgeous emerald color he'd inherited, rather than the dead, milky white he'd become accustomed to. But even in the gentle kindness he hadn't seen in years, her eyes were serious.

"I don't know. I'm following my mother's instructions, and I knew better than to experiment with what hides in that forest." Roy and Tim shared a look, and the former wondered if he was the only one with a chill sliding down his back.

* * *

It was about 3 in the afternoon when they finally set out, although they still didn't have what Tim would've liked: a concrete _plan._ Roy had to agree that it basically extended to 'hope that the animals help and that Brax has a good memory'. But neither argued when Aileen insisted they head out. They were silent as they entered the forest, which was oddly quiet. No animals, no birds, not even insects made any noise, although they hopped and flew around quite visibly. Other than their footsteps, it was like someone had pressed a mute button on the world. It set Roy on edge, and Tim looked wary, but Aileen wasn't bothered at all.

"Keep going." She told her son. He looked back at her, then nodded and sped up a little. As they went further, he could hear a stream running, and a gentle breeze caused the conifers (that's what Tim called them) to sway...Roy supposed he'd appreciate the beauty a little more if they weren't on an unknown limit of time.

"Is there anything else about this place that we should know?" Roy asked, glancing back at his mother again. "Haunted, cursed?"

"Haunted." Aileen confirmed. "So people say, anyway. This place has an odd history."

"Terrific…" Roy muttered.

For what felt like hours they walked, animals big and small seeming to be at their sides at all time but never above or in front of them. Birds, foxes (a family of them; Roy almost stopped to look at them longer before Tim nudged him forward), a hedgehog or two (God help him, he wanted to keep it), a couple of badgers, even a deer. They were pretty far between, but seemed to be marking a path, just as Aileen said. Of course, they weren't walking on any man-made path at all, not even a dirt one. He started walking a little slower, eyeing the ground as he took careful steps. Aileen spoke up after a few seconds.

"There are no snakes in Ireland, Elroy." She assured him.

"Wait, really? Why not?"

"I'm sure Tim probably has a more scientific explanation, but the story is that St. Patrick chased them all off of the island."

"I have a whole new respect for his holiday now…" Roy looked at Tim. "Got a realistic reason?" Tim nodded.

"There probably just weren't any, or weren't enough, snakes on Ireland when Pangaea broke apart."

As they went along, Roy noticed how...intently the animals seemed to be staring at Tim, as if they knew he was an outsider. But wasn't he, too? He'd never been here before, right? He asked Brax, but only heard silence. Without thinking, Roy slid his hand into Tim's and held it tightly. After a moment, Tim squeezed back.

* * *

Aileen saw this and felt a pang in her chest so strong she nearly stopped. She wondered when and how Roy had discovered he liked boys. Then again, they didn't seem to be together...but for her son at least, the attraction was clearly there.

Who did he come out to, if anyone at all? Had he wished she and Aidan had been there to talk to him about it? Briefly, she considered broaching the subject...then rejected the thought. It would just be uncomfortable for them both, and might even make Roy angry. He most likely felt, as she did, that it was too late for her to 'catch up' on what she had missed.

 _It's never too late, Aileen._ A voice that wasn't hers spoke up in her head. She stopped completely now, her eyes wide. She knew that voice. _Keep going. You're nearly there._ And then nothing.

"Aileen?" Tim asked. She blinked and looked at them. They were over a dozen feet ahead of her now, but had stopped. Tim looked confused, but Roy seemed...puzzled, as if he were trying to figure something out.

"I'm fine," she assured them as she jogged to catch up, "sorry about that." But as she looked at her son, his eyes widened, as they did when he figured out a tough math question when he was little, and he spoke quickly.

"You have one too, don't you?" He asked. "You have someone like Brax."

* * *

Roy stared at his mother's eyes, which were now a solid, beautiful azure blue instead of their usual soft jade. _Does she?_ He asked. _Does she, Brax?_ Brax, however, was silent.

"...I...don't know what you mean." Aileen replied, her eyes already reverting back to their normal color. "We need to go, I think we're nearly there." She gestured forwards. Roy glanced at Tim, who looked just as confused as he felt, then slowly started walking again.

 _She's right, we're very close._ Brax spoke up. _Look up a bit._ Roy felt like making a sarcastic remark, then decided not to bother and just did what he was told.

Brax was right. He saw a cloud slowly split apart as it moved forwards, sliding around a large, clear patch of sky, then joined back together at the end of it.

"Woah…" He breathed out, then looked back. Tim looked awe-struck, and his mother looked both tense and excited.

"Let's go." She looked at him. "If we hurry, we might not have to worry about that thing."

"Hope for the best, expect the worst." Tim advised. Roy gave him a dirty look.

"Thanks, Tim, I feel so much better." He retorted. Tim shrugged with a 'what can you do' expression. Roy turned and walked a little faster, excitement mixed with anxiety rising in his chest as they approached the clearing. But as they got to the treeline surrounding the area (which he noted was too thick to see clearly into it), he stopped and sighed in exasperation. "Nothing's ever easy, is it?"

"Apparently not." Tim knelt down in front of the broad line of chest-high brambles and examined the unusually long thorns. "Two inches. Wow." He crouched a little further. "And no berries...these aren't normal, that's for sure." He looked at Aileen. "Do you remember having to get through these the last time you were here?"

"Well, I had just…" She cast a furtive glance towards Roy. "...I was around nine at the time…" Tim raised an eyebrow, but didn't pry.

"We don't have anything to burn them with, and we can't just walk through them…"

"I didn't say I _don't_ know how," Aileen interjected quickly, "But I'm not 100% certain that this is all we did…" Tim motioned for her to go on, while Roy stared at his mom, surprised at this small thing they had in common: they were both _God-awful_ liars. "Roy, you need to prick yourself on a thorn, just enough to get blood on it. I'll do it next, but I don't think it'll be necessary for Tim."

"Why can't he just fly over?" Tim asked.

"For the same reason clouds can't pass over it. He wouldn't be able to if he tried." Tim looked at Roy with a bitter smile.

"I guess it really _can't_ ever be easy." Roy shrugged, smiling back.  
"Well, it's just a little blood. I've got plenty to spare."

"Famous last words." He heard it from Tim and Brax at the same time.

"Not. Helping." Roy knelt beside Tim in front of the brambles and reached out to the closest thorn, brushing his finger against the tip. He winced as it sliced his skin easily, blood accumulating into one drop that he let drip onto the thorn. "Fuck, that hurts…" He whispered. His finger felt like it was burning, and he stuck the tip of his hurt finger into his mouth. He hated the taste of blood…

"My turn." Aileen knelt down and did the same as he did without so much as a jerk of her hand as her finger was cut and dripped blood onto the thorn.

"Well, you're tougher than I am…" Roy muttered, then stared as, before their eyes, the brambles slowly receded into the ground, as if they were never there in the first place. "...magic, too?"

"Trust me, this kind of stuff isn't mutually exclusive." Tim told him, looking almost as unsurprised as Aileen. "We've had to deal with our fair share of magical issues." Roy hummed as he looked at the thick line of trees, each packed closely together.

"I guess having them part is too much to hope for?" He asked.

"We'll be able to squeeze through." Aileen said confidently as she stepped towards them. Suddenly, she stopped and looked behind them, squinting a little as if looking for something.

"What's wrong?" Roy and Tim looked back, but didn't see anything (other than the animals staring at them).

"...nothing," Aileen replied after a few seconds, turning back towards the trees. "But we need to hurry."

* * *

Roy hadn't really taken into consideration that it had been at least as many years as he was old since Brax had seen this clearing he'd been so clearly visualizing. He also hadn't realized, until the moment they squeezed through those trees, that a lot can happen in seventeen years...and not all of it necessarily good.

He and his two companions stood in silence as they stared at what was left of the glade Brax had once called home.

What was once clearly healthy, thick patches of grass was now brown, bristly skeletons of plant life. Remarkably vividly hued wildflowers had become ashy, crumpled remains scattered beneath skeletal stems. It had not been windy in the forest, and yet somehow the air surrounding them felt even more still, as if frozen where it was. There was no rushing water and, as Roy forced himself to look around (Brax protested with what sounded like near-panic, and it struck him that any disappointment he felt was probably tenfold for the wraith), barely any traces of a river or stream. If anything, it looked more like a particularly poor-looking dirt path.

Tim was the one to break the silence. His voice was quiet, as if he were afraid of waking something; the thought chilled Roy, because he shared that feeling.

"What happened here…?" He looked at Roy and frowned. "Is this how it looked to you?" Roy shook his head slowly. Tim was giving him a look of concern; if he had been able to see himself, he would've seen why: his eyes were scarlet red, and tears were starting to well up. He wiped them away without realizing it, and his eyes were green again.

"We have less time than I thought," Aileen walked past them as she said it, making her way to the center of the glade. After a moment, Tim and Roy followed her.

 _Stop looking around!_ Brax snapped, his voice sounding, for the first time, truly angry. _I don't want to keep seeing it!_ Roy didn't even respond, focusing his gaze on his mother's back as she looked to the right and sighed with relief.

"It's still intact." She looked a little more optimistic now. Roy wished he could share the sentiment, but decided not to stew in it and instead looked at the one thing that was the same as he had been shown: that gossamer, shimmering curtain hanging from nothing, covering the path ahead. "Tim, stay here. You won't be able to come through." Roy looked at Aileen.

"But what if that thing shows up?" He asked, switching his gaze to Tim. His expression was surprisingly neutral, calm even.

"I can take care of myself, Roy." He replied. "But it'd help if you hurried." There was a thread of humor there, which made Roy feel a bit better, but if that thing had even been able to take down somebody like Killer Croc…

"Come on, Roy."Aileen was already heading for the curtain. Roy felt a spark of agitation in his gut as he jogged after her.

"Do you just not care what happens to him, or are you _that_ certain he'll be able to hold it off if it shows up?" She stopped and turned around, causing him to nearly bump into her. For the first time in his life, Roy saw what it looked like for his mom to be mad.

"We're on borrowed time, Roy." She didn't raise her voice at all, which made it...almost a relief to hear. "If that thing gets where we need to go before we do, then we're _all_ dead. And that's sugarcoating it. I _do_ care about what happens to him, though. In fact, it's been on my mind since I woke up that every single bad thing that's happened to you is the fault of the people that should've been the ones keeping you safe. Since one is dead and the other is that fucking _thing's_ puppet, then everything from here on, the good and bad, is on me. And I'd like the former to outweigh the latter once this is all over." She fell silent, and it took Roy a moment to realize that she was expecting a response.

"...yes ma'am…?" He responded tentatively. She surprised him by smiling a little, although it was bitter.

"Close enough." She turned away and walked right through the curtain.

This time, Roy followed without protest.

* * *

Roy had been just as overwhelmed as he thought he'd be upon seeing the glade, but for the opposite reason he expected to be. What was beyond it, though...that was something else.

He hadn't even noticed it until they were right in front of it, as if it had just appeared as they got close (at that point, he wouldn't have doubted it).

It was a large, somewhat circular platform made entirely of a green stone that Roy had never seen before (on the flight home he would ask his mother what it was, and learn that it was called connemara marble). At each of the five barely perceptible corners of the circle were small pillars, up only to Roy's waist. In each of them were translucent spheres. Two were clear, but the remaining three were of faded color: red, blue, and black. And in the center was a large rectangular slab of that green stone, with an inscription in black across it in a language Roy didn't know.

 _You_ do _know it,_ Brax said quietly, _or at least a few words, but you've never seen it written. It's Gaelic, Roy. Our native language._

 _What does it say?_ Roy asked.

' _From the smoke of the oak wood that created all that lives, Eiocha and Cernunnos created us, so that we may be the guardians of peace and prosperity in the face of the end. We will choose our worthy hosts, and with them shall bring about the New Age'._ Brax translated.

_That sounds sort of ominous...so you're one of these?_

_Yes. Bring me to the red sphere._ Roy slowly walked to it, walking carefully as if he were afraid to damage the stone. He hardly registered his mother approaching the blue one. _Touch it._ He did.

He felt it immediately. Red smoke slowly flowed down his arm in a spiral, and when it finally stopped, Roy no longer felt Brax's presence within him.

It was a feeling he never wanted to experience again. The sphere was now a vivid blood red, and slowly growing brighter. Roy looked over at his mother to see her having done the same to the blue one, which was now glowing azure.

* * *

At the same time, Tim felt a chill run down his back and that gut feeling that something was wrong. But, for once, his assailant was faster than his reflexes.

It had finally come, and so began the pile of terrible events that Aileen would always feel responsible for.


	31. Too Late

The orbs were so bright now that Roy and Aileen had to look away. And then, like a switch had been flipped, they stopped. As Roy looked back, Brax left the orb, his smoke now more vivid than ever, with wisps of white in it now, as it spiraled up Roy's arm and seemed to enter his chest. Roy's hair and eyes became dark red, more like a garnet than a ruby, and he spoke up with a voice more clear than it ever had before.

 _We're ready now, Roy._ He said, sounding almost happy. _And now I can remember it all. I can remember when you first came here…_

"I've been here before?" Roy asked, looking at Aileen...and then doing a double-take. Her hair was now a deep ocean blue, as were her eyes as the last plumes of dark blue smoke with silver streaks disappeared within her. She had a vacant smile on her face, her eyes glazed over.

 _Yes, you have._ Brax answered for her. _This is the first time she's been able to talk to Ari in a while, leave her be._

"Who's Ari?"

_Another like me. There are five of us, each with our own abilities to offer. Your parents' families, and others, had been waiting for the day that we would be able to find proper hosts...but I joined with you long after your parents first met, when Ari and Gav merged with them..._

_Zolnar was the first of us to be bonded with, however. Your grandmother, Aoibheann, merged with him easily when she was just a teenager. To this day, she might be the most powerful human I've ever encountered. Zolnar had always been the wild one, the hardest to contain. All of us had some kind of moral compass, but Zolnar...he needed someone nearly as powerful as him to keep him under control. He was made to be our best weapon, to be used only in true emergency, on the off-chance that whatever we were created to fight was too much for the rest of us. Many had tried before Aoibheann to be the one, but all failed with...less-than-pleasant results. It took almost all of her willpower, but she managed to contain him. Aileen and Aiden merged with Ari and Gavin when they were fifteen and sixteen. They married a few years later, and had you. I don't know how, but they knew you would bond with me even as a newborn. And they were right. We were able to bond immediately. Hani bonded with a friend of your mother's daughter, Kathleen Byrne, that very same day. I can't pretend that I know what their plan was, but they all eventually ended up here in Gotham...they lost touch with Kathleen's family a few years ago. By now, Aoibheann was aging, and every day it got harder and harder for her to contain Zolnar...I don't know how it happened, but eventually he broke free, most likely killed her, and-_

"-he's the one that's following us." Roy whispered. He felt hollow, empty as he said it. "He's the one that possessed my parents, kidnapped anyone I used my powers on, murdered my friend…"

_...yes. He is._

"But _why_?" Roy asked, feeling the emptiness be replaced by a hot ball of anger in his gut. "Why the _Hell_ is he doing this?"

 _We and your family are the reason he was held captive for so long. He wants revenge...but it is also because it is simply in his nature. To destroy, to kill. But he is weak, and that is the only thing stopping him from destroying everything in his path. So was I. But Ari and I are now as strong as we were after our creation, which means that I...no, that_ we _now have the means to stop him. I don't know where Gav and Hani are, but we will have to make do without them._

"How?" Roy asked.

_Each of us was created for something, Roy. Gav for Creation and Focus. Ari for the Sky, and Air. Zolnar for Death and Destruction. Hani for Artificiality...things created by man...and Nature, that which naturally occurs. And me for Blood and Purity...what makes up mankind._

"So...what do we have to do?"

_The reason you can 'possess' other people is because I enter their bloodstream and control them that way. But I also stand for Purity. Your father has been corrupted by Zolnar's evil, and if we can manage to possess your father…_

"It'll destroy Zolnar...but what'll happen to my dad?"

_...I don't know._

"Liar." Roy muttered. Then he felt it. A cold weight in the pit of his stomach, spreading up to his chest as his heart began to pound.

_We have to get out of here, Roy. He's here._

* * *

Aileen felt it too, and heard a similar warning from Ari. She turned to look at her son. He was staring down the path they'd came from, and she followed his gaze.

There he...no, _it,_ was walking towards them with those dead white eyes and eerie, stumbling gait. It was smiling so widely she was sure its lips would split apart, but they didn't, just stretched like rubber. Its smile lessened as it got closer, looking between the two of them, then at the now glassy orbs.

"Roy, come here." To her surprise, he did so, slowly backing towards her until she had her hands on his shoulders. Her eyes flicked over to the last orb: the black one. _You can't let it get to it._

"What did you do to Tim?" Roy called out. Zolnar stopped walking, tilted his-no, Aiden's-head, and grinned again. Roy shivered and stepped back again, bumping into Aileen.

"Oh, he'll be alright...for a few more minutes, anyway." The monster taunted, his voice raspy and echoing. "Not to worry, there aren't any trains nearby."

"You son of a bitch…" Roy's fear seemed to have left him for the moment, and Aileen had never heard that phrase uttered with so much _loathing_ before her son spoke it. "If he has so much as a _bruise_ -"

"And you have experience checking for those, don't you?" Zolnar hissed, grinning wider as the fire seemed to leave Roy completely, his body shivering. "Poor Aiden; such a loving father, so adoring of his son. There are few times he saw what he was doing-"

"Stop it..." Roy said quietly, his voice soft.

"Don't listen, Roy." Aileen said as she tried to think of a way to keep Zolnar from the orb but also get them both out of there alive. So far, there was none.

"-but I made sure he saw _every single blow_ he landed on his beloved son."

"Shut up…" Roy sounded an awful mix of broken and enraged.

 _There's nothing we can do to stop him,_ Ari told her, _just wait until he isn't blocking the way and run!_

"And he heard every cry for help, every plea for him to stop, every-"

" _I'm going to fucking KILL YOU!_ " Roy yelled, leaping forward and charging at Zolnar (he stopped thinking of it as his father from then on) as he became a red swirl of smoke. Zolnar raised Aiden's hand, and slivers of black smoke shot out. The moment they touched the red, it vanished, forcing Roy back to his normal state as he fell to the ground, coughing out black smoke and equally dark splatters of fluid. Fear seized Aileen, but Zolnar was still watching her.

"Kill me?" Zolnar grinned, clearly amused. "You're quite welcome to try. Even at his most powerful, Brax is _weak,_ just like his host."

"Right, and you're _so_ strong…" Roy looked up at him with a spiteful glare. "That's why it took you until my grandma had a heart attack for you to escape, right?" Zolnar looked down, his grin now a mask of fury.

The monster's attention was no longer on her, and Aileen took the chance she had. Blue smoke appeared around her, slowly spiralling upwards and spinning rapidly, silver wind whipping around her as the spiral became a cylindrical wall. Zolnar looked up just in time to see it blast towards him, but by then it was too late.

" _Stay away from my son!_ " Aileen yelled as the blue wind encircled Zolnar, trapping him. He would try to stand, and the swirling wind would force him to stumble. "Run!" She yelled at her son. He looked at the air trap, then at her with an expression of dumb shock on his face. She ran by, seizing him by the arm and yanking him up as she ran down the path with him. "Just run!" He got it the second time and was soon almost outpacing her, but she didn't let go, and he didn't make her.

* * *

They didn't have to search hard for Tim. He was lying limply on the ground near the entrance to the path, and it was obvious to Roy and his mother that Zolnar had put him in such easy view on purpose. He might not care for Aileen and Ari anymore, but it was clear to the woman that he wanted to break Roy and Brax, by whatever means necessary.

Roy knelt down by his mom, clearly out of breath, but that didn't stop him from shaking the other teen by his shoulders, trying to wake him up.

"Tim? _Tim?_ " He brushed the long black bangs from the boy's hair, then stopped and let out a noise like a whimper that, in a less dire situation, would have embarrassed him.

Tim's eyes were wide open, and faintly glowing white. A chill ran spread through Roy's body, from his chest all throughout his body.

"Oh, _fuck_ …" He whispered, then started shaking his friend again. "Tim?! Tim!"

"Roy, calm down," Aileen said behind him, "you can fix this." He looked back at her, his mind racing to think of a solution and finding none. Brax spoke up before he could as what she meant.

 _He's been corrupted by a small part of Zolnar's powers. We can fix it. Just possess him like you usually would and I'll take care of the rest._ Roy looked back at Tim with a slow nod, breathing slowly to try and calm himself down a little. Focus. He had to focus.

It happened more easily, and more quickly, than it did just a couple of weeks ago. A couple of days, even. He vaporized and possessed Tim's body, thanking God that, if nothing else, at least his friend was breathing. He trusted Brax. With his life. But that didn't mean the cold thought that Brax wouldn't be able to help didn't eat at him relentlessly.

He couldn't see anything. It was all black, but not as if he were in a dark room. It was like his eyes were closed, seeing odd swirling shapes in faded colors he couldn't confidently identify. He registered a dull, aching pain in his fingertips and travelling through his body, but managed to ignore it.

 _Just try to stay as calm as possible,_ Brax advised him, _that will help this go faster, and more smoothly._ Roy wanted to nod, but found that he couldn't. A moment passed. Then the dull ache became a gentle, pleasant warmth, travelling the same slow path from fingertips to his chest, and then up to his head and down to his feet. It was slow going, but as it went on, his vision began to clear. First just a pinprick of light, and then more and more, slowly widening until he finally saw everything, feel everything. The wind, the sky, Aileen standing over him worriedly.

 _It's done._ That was all Roy needed to hear as he left Tim and solidified next to him. As he looked over at Tim, there was a short, but pregnant pause where the paranoid part of his mind acted as if his fear had been realized, and then Tim was rolling onto his side and coughing up a thick black liquid that evaporated into smoke just moments after hitting the ground.

Relief flooded Roy, and although it was hardly appropriate, a delighted laugh bubbled up from his chest and out of his mouth. Tim wasn't yet finished coughing when Roy hauled him upright into a sitting position and hugged him tightly, so tightly he was sure he felt Tim's back pop a few times.

Roy wasn't even able to comprehend why he did it, had it been perhaps the moment of joy and relief that fell over him? Or was it a simple slip up of his true feelings for Tim that came out? It was if he'd been in The Matrix, except that instead of cool, corny dodges in slow motion, it was him as he pressed his lips against Tim's. How his grip on Tim slowly loosened, or how soft Tim's lips felt...but he didn't kiss back. A soft hand gently nudged at his chest, calmly while their lips separated, Tim having an almost coldly stoic look on his face (that Batman always had, Roy thought). It wasn't like he'd verbally rejected him, but Roy got the picture. Tim hadn't responded because, well...that alone should've said it all, the air weighing heavy between them yet again and a string of expletives brewed in Roy's head as realization struck him.

An apology was coming out, but he didn't process he was the one saying it as he stood up and backed away, nearly tripping until his mother caught him. Tim got up, not saying anything, and that made it even worse...but at the same time, he doubted he'd have been able to handle a violent response. The apology came out again, but it was interrupted by a loud crack, like glass being hit but not quite shattering yet.

* * *

The wind finally dispersed, and Zolnar sneered as he stood up and walked over to the final orb; _his_ orb. He easily left his puppet, who fell to the ground like a rag doll, his breathing raspy and shallow, his eyes glazed over and white. It had been a pleasant surprise to learn it wasn't just death itself he could take over. That thin line between life and death, that almost always eternal sleep (what humans would call a coma) was just fine as well. The living was difficult to do, but not impossible...as he could attest.

"They won't be able to stop me now…" He growled as he entered his orb. The others had glowed with bright light...his _absorbed_ the light, turning the orb as black and void-like as him, with thick streaks of stone-gray. He burst from the sphere so quickly, and with such energy, that the others cracked.

He rose above the glade and flew away. He was in no hurry to destroy them. After all...they'd be coming to him, wouldn't they?

* * *

Roy looked up as the massive cloud of black and gray swiftly took flight, away from them.

"We have to get back!" His mom, for the first time, sounded _terrified._ Tim was faster than both of them, but stayed nearby as Aileen gripped Roy's hand and ran out of the glade.

 _It's too late…_ Brax sounded odd...hopeless. He knew what was happening, and he was resigned to it. _He's free to destroy anything and anyone he wants._ Roy didn't realize it, but he spoke aloud.

"Like _Hell_ he is…"


	32. One Way Or Another

Every minute on the plane back felt like ten, and the awkward feeling hanging between Roy and Tim wasn't helping at all. _I'm such an idiot…_

 _No,_ Brax replied, _you're not. It would have eventually happened one way or another. At least now you don't have to worry about it._

 _But I_ do _have to worry about if Tim will even want to be near me anymore…_

Not that he could really do anything about it…

* * *

Keith gave the woman behind the counter a smile as she filled up his bowl, then walked to the table Alice, Evelyn, and Sean were sitting at. He sat by Alice and sighed as he stared at the soup, then slowly stirred it with the spoon.

"Think they'll be back soon?" Alice asked. Keith zoned out then (something he was pretty good at), so he didn't hear Sean's response. He didn't really want to think about Roy. If he did, the anxiety of wondering when he'd be back would build up. That...well...that usually didn't work out too well for anyone involved. He felt Alice poke him and looked up, glowering at her. She didn't look impressed. "If you're not hungry, give the food to someone else." He nodded and slid it over to Evelyn, who just pointedly looked at her own bowl. Keith sighed and stood, picking up the bowl and looking around briefly before his eyes settled on a young pregnant woman sitting at a table with a small group of other people. Her bowl was empty, so he wordlessly gave it to her and walked back to his table. Almost as soon as he sat down, Evelyn spoke.

"Their plane has just landed. We need to meet them back at the dump." Sean and Alice nodded, but kept eating...albeit faster than they were before. Keith sighed and, after looking around to make sure they weren't being watched, tapped on the table. A square of green with a blue splotch appeared on the table in front of him, equally a foot in length and width. He tapped again, then raised his hand. The square gained clarity, and shapes rose up from it. It was now a green field with a pond that had crystal blue water...they could even see small fish swimming around in it. Trees surrounded the field, leaves rustling silently. Evelyn watched with a smile.

"You've a wonderful talent, Keith." She told him quietly. "Don't let others exploit it." Keith looked at her, hoping she would continue, but she said nothing more, leaving him in confusion...and apprehension.

* * *

They'd gotten into Tim's car, and he began driving immediately. It didn't occur to Roy until a few minutes later that they didn't really have a _plan._ Or...at least _he_ hadn't come up with one. He wanted to ask, but he...didn't really feel like speaking to Tim, so he looked at Aileen. She seemed to understand, and spoke up for him.

"Where are we going, Tim?" He looked up at the rearview mirror, then at the road again.

"Whatever's about to happen, I know it's going to be Hell on Earth, so we need all the help we can get. After we explain everything to Bruce and the others, we'll meet with Roy's friends at the junkyard."

"Do we have that much time?" Aileen asked. Tim just shrugged. "Do you think he got here before us?" Tim glanced at her, then at Roy.

"Look, I can't really advise you guys about something I'm mostly in the dark about too. Your explanation will be to me as well as to my family." Roy spoke up quietly, wanting to explain something else entirely, but what came out was just another weakly-worded apology. Tim didn't respond...but the car did start going a bit faster. Aileen shot Roy a sympathetic look, but he just turned his gaze to the window as his face grew warm and he felt a knot in his stomach. He saw a dark cloud passing over Gotham. It was probably going to rain. Appropriate.

He'd realize soon after explaining everything (to his great relief, nobody really questioned it) that it wasn't a cloud, but of the many things he blamed himself for, this wasn't one of them. After all, he wouldn't have been able to do anything even if he pointed it out. In fact, the outcome might've turned out for the worse...if, the cynical part of his mind would tell him, that were possible.

* * *

Everyone was silent at the scrapyard. Luckily it wasn't raining, so everyone was free to stand or sit around the firepit instead of under the shed. Roy looked around at everyone. Aileen, Red Hood, Robin, Batman, Alice, Sean, Evelyn, Keith...and Red Robin. It was easier to look at him if Roy thought of him by that name.

"What's our plan?" He asked, not sure who exactly he was speaking to. He was open to suggestions. To his mild disappointment (but to no real surprise), Tim shook his head.

"It's hard to make a plan when we don't know what this thing might do or what it's capable of."

"Death." Roy responded. "Brax summed it up with that. Death on a…he compared it to something called the Toba catastrophe." Through their cowls, all five of the vigilantes with him had widened eyes. Roy almost didn't want to ask, but...he was curious. "What was the Toba catastrophe?"

"A supervolcanic eruption." Tim responded. "The winters after it destroyed _everything_ and _everyone_ outside of Africa." A cold chill ran down Roy's back as if someone dripped icy water down it.

"...oh." Was all he could say. "So we're fucked if we can't stop him?"

"Basically, yeah." Tim sighed. "Look, we can't really make a plan until Zolnar makes his move, so for now all we can do is wait. So...while we're waiting…" He looked at Alice, Sean, and Evelyn. "How will you three be able to help?" Sean held up his hand.

A nearby patch of grass wilted as the water drained from it and made its way in spirals to Sean's hand, forming into a sphere. He closed his hand and the water fell to the dirt.

"It might not be especially useful depending on where we are, but I'll do what I can." He stated. Roy gave him a glare.

"You having superpowers would've been great to know from the start." He replied. Sean just shrugged.

"It's not something I use often. Believe it or not, there aren't many practical uses for it. I can't heal anyone, can't control its other states of matter, nothing like in TV shows. But depending on how much water is available…" He smiled a little. "Maybe I could trap the thing if it returns to human form?"

Roy was scared that Sean might accidentally _drown_ his dad, but he didn't voice this concern as Tim looked to Alice. She smiled wryly.

"I can hold my own, relax." She didn't do anything to support this claim, though. Evelyn just shook her head.

"I'm afraid that I can't help in a fight, but I'm something like an oracle. I see glimpses of things before they happen...but my most vivid happen by accident." She looked at Roy somberly. "Like with poor Nathan…" Roy looked down. Vernon and Nathan were two deaths too many, but hopefully they'd be the only ones to die because of him.

 _Ask about Kathleen._ Brax suggested. Roy furrowed his eyebrows.

_Huh?_

_Kathleen, Roy! Kathleen Byrne!_ Brax snapped, impatient. Roy wasn't sure Brax could even really yell, but he found himself wincing anyway...and then his face turned red when he noticed that everyone saw it. He felt Brax's presence at the front of his mind fade even more than usual as he spoke to Evelyn.

"Could you...try to predict a specific thing for me…?" She looked a little puzzled, but nodded.

"I can't guarantee I'll see anything worthwhile, but I can try." She gestured for Roy to approach her. When he did, she took his hands in hers. "What do you want me to search for?"

"The name 'Kathleen'." He paused and, at Brax's prompting, added, "and the color purple." Evelyn nodded and closed her eyes. After a few seconds, Roy winced as he felt something akin to a static jolt in both hands before Evelyn opened her eyes, looking troubled. "Anything?" She nodded.

She couldn't see much...other than what Roy had given her to search for. A haze of purple, and a pale girl with dark hair, her lavender eyes hard and angry. She saw Roy, too, staring her down with a wary expression, as if he were sure she was going to attack him.

* * *

"It was hazy, but...you will meet this 'Kathleen' soon...but I have no clue when, where, or why." Roy felt like she saw more...but she didn't continue, so he decided to let it go.

"Thank you…" Roy replied, then turned to look at Tim, instantly feeling anxious...but he knew this needed to happen. "We...we need to talk…" His expression was blank as he nodded and followed Roy away from the others.

When he was sure they were out of earshot, Roy stopped and turned to Tim. "Look...Tim, I…" He was already regretting this. What was he supposed to say besides 'sorry'?

"I'm not mad at you, Roy." Tim (thankfully) interrupted. Roy felt shock, and then relief flood through him.

"You're not? Seriously?" He asked, almost expecting Tim to take it back, to have been messing with him. But the vigilante shook his head, confirming what he'd said.

"I just...how long have you wanted to…?" Tim trailed off.

"Wanted to what? Kiss you?" When Tim nodded, he answered. "Somewhere around the time you let me stay at your house." He paused. "...I think." Silence, and he started speaking quickly. "I'm so sorry Tim, I was just terrified that I wouldn't be able to help you or that you wouldn't wake up and then you did and I…" His face had started reddening from the moment he began the ramble, and only got worse when he trailed off. When Tim didn't say anything (and Roy had given up any hope of reading his expressions), he finished. "I was relieved...and I wasn't thinking…"

"Roy, I...look, I'm…" Tim wasn't flustered or embarrassed...but as he looked back at the others, Roy realized immediately what he was doing: he was trying to think of a way to reject Roy without making him upset. "I'm flattered, really, and you...you're great, but…" Tim looked back at Roy.

He didn't know what exactly Tim saw on his face or in his eyes, but it made him stop and sigh. "Roy, I'm sorry."

"I have a feeling you say a lot of things you don't mean, huh?" It came out of his mouth without him thinking about it, and Tim went silent again.

Roy had nothing else to say. So he just walked back to everyone else, wiping away a single hot tear that rolled down his face, and he didn't know if he was sad or angry. If anyone noticed, they didn't say anything.

"Alright, so what do we-" Roy began, then started when Tim-Red Robin-placed a hand on his shoulder. Without thinking, Roy jerked away and stepped away from him. After a moment, Red Robin spoke.

"Amber's trying to contact me." Red Robin reached up to his earpiece and frowned. "Amber, calm down, what's going on?"

* * *

"I-I don't know!" She cried out over the noise of confused nurses and panicking doctors outside of her room. Amber peered out the small window on her room door into the hallway, then moved away from it as another group of people shambled by. "People are...people are coming out of the morgue, and all of the coma patients are getting up but they're not-" She went silent as she looked back out the window to see a ghostly pale young man staring into her room, his eyes milky white and his face sporting a too-wide smile that stretched his lips almost obscenely.

She screamed and braced herself against the door as he walked towards it.

* * *

"Amber!" Tim's voice was close to a yell. "Amber? What's happening?!" After a moment, Tim looked at them all. "She said people in comas are waking up and walking around...so are bodies in the morgue."

 _It's starting._ Brax told Roy, who repeated him aloud without being aware of it. _He's made his move._ Quiet shock settled over them until Keith spoke up.

"Roy, look…" He was pointing towards a very familiar place to Roy, where the now deep black cloud was forming and swirling over it. But now he knew exactly what it was, and why it was there.

While Zolnar hovered over the bridge where everything began, Roy felt a dark amusement in his stomach as he realized that it was also where everything would end.

One way or another, it would all be over soon.


	33. Rest

Amber took a deep breath, trying to ignore the pain in her ankle as the thing outside tried to get in, that grin never leaving. Nobody had come by to help...had all the doctors and nurses left? Where were the other patients? She could hear police sirens outside, but disregarded them. Even if they came in, her leg would give out by the time they made it to her floor.

She knew that this was probably it for her...but she sure as Hell wasn't going to make it easy. For as long as she could, she'd hold out against the pain, defiance filling her as she glared back at the glasgow-grinning creature.

* * *

They went through panicked and discombobulated pedestrians as dozens of white-eyed people of all types headed towards the bridge as well, which was crowded with cars as people ran off of it on foot. Roy pushed any questions of why out of his mind; he was going to find out in a few minutes anyway.

He didn't look back even when Red Robin called out his name. He went on with single-minded determination. He just wanted to get there, stop that thing from accomplishing whatever it was after, save his dad-

" _Roy!_ " Red Robin gripped his shoulder and spun him around. "We don't even have a plan, we can't just rush into that!" He knew Red Robin was right, and he knew it was both petty and immature, but he responded that he didn't care.

"This shit ends _now,_ Red Robin! I don't care how close a shave it is or what _you_ think about it!"

"For God's sake!" Alice yelled at them. " _I_ have a plan!" Momentarily stunned, they looked at her. The wind began to pick up as Zolnar's cloud began to swirl and grow larger around the bridge, and soon she was shouting over it. "Tim, we have to keep the people he's controlling away from the bridge! Roy and Brax can handle this!" Before Red Robin could begin to protest, she looked at Roy. "Your mom will try to make sure you get up there safely!" Roy nodded. Alice smiled a little. "Give him Hell, alright?" She turned and ran back to join the others, who were standing in the streets near the bridge as more of the people Zolnar was controlling approached. _Don't worry about the other side of the bridge, he won't bother there._ Brax told him. Before Roy could turn back towards the bridge, Red Robin grabbed him again.

"Roy!" When the brunet looked at him, the vigilante pulled back his hood, then drew him into a tight hug. Roy was so surprised that he didn't think to hug back, but Tim didn't look bothered as he pulled away. "I'm sorry, okay? Just...just know that I mean that!" And then he was joining his family and Roy's friends. Roy hesitated, then walked towards the bridge. He felt no resistance as a blue and silver smoke sphere surrounded him, courtesy of Aileen and Ari.

"How do we do this, Brax?" He asked aloud.

 _He knows what I can do. You have to catch him while he's vaporized when controlling your father. Then charge into him while vaporized._ He was still hiding something, but Roy didn't bother asking.

As he walked, he found himself singing softly without knowing why. To steel his nerves? Nostalgia? Whatever the case, he walked into the black, spinning cloud, not knowing if he would come back out. " _Come with me...and you'll be...in a world of pure imagination…_ "

* * *

The moment he entered, the slow shambling changed instantly, Sean probably summing everyone's reactions up pretty nicely as the controlled people began to _sprint._ "Oh _Hell!_ " He pulled sprays of water from below the bridge, rushing them at the people.

"Remember some of them are just comatose!" Batman yelled out to them all. "No killing blows!" _Well, murder never crossed my mind, but that_ does _make things a little harder._ Sean rarely practiced what he was capable of, so for now he had to settle with stumbling them back with pressured water streams. For the moment, it was working well enough.

* * *

Zolnar was standing in the exact spot Roy used to jump from, looking out at the water. It was perfectly silent inside of the cyclone, and very cold, but Roy managed to ignore it for the time being. He stopped about a dozen feet away from Zolnar silently. Neither spoke for a solid minute. Roy finally broke the silence.

"You've got a flair for the dramatic, huh?" He gestured to the swirling darkness around them. "Or do you just want to show off?"

"A simple display of power." The voice was a weird mix of two voices, fluctuating between his father's and the deep rasp of Zolnar's. "And not even a particularly powerful one."

 _This is too civil for him. Keep your guard up._ Brax warned.

"And the people you're using as puppets? Or is that just to get us alone?" Roy pressed.

"Of course it is." Zolnar turned towards him. Aiden's eyes were still white, but that ear-to-ear grin was absent. "Before what's about to happen, Elroy...I'd like you to know that this-all of this-was never part of my original plan."

"...what're you talking about?"

* * *

There were even more than Aileen thought. Red Robin and Nightwing were at her side, but there was only so much they could do to prevent the dozens of running corpses and comatose people from getting near them. She caught another group of them in a whirlwind and pushed them away while the two vigilantes stood ahead of her, knocking a good number of them down or away with relative ease.

 _We can't keep this up forever._ Ari said. Aileen knew that, but what else could they do except try? She heard a noise from the water nearby, but dismissed it as she blew away another few of the possessed. Then large footsteps approached her and stopped at her side, and she glanced over to see Waylon beside her, much to the shock of Nightwing and Red Robin.

"Please, just make sure they don't make it onto the bridge." She said. He nodded, walking towards the crowd of people. "Just don't kill them!" He didn't respond, but she hoped she could trust him.

* * *

 _He's just buying time, Roy._ Brax said. _Don't listen to a word he says._ Roy didn't respond as Zolnar slowly stepped towards him.

"I was going to escape eventually. That was a given. However, everything that I've done to your family was never an intention of mine. And I will admit freely that my reaction to finally being freed from Aoibheann was...extreme. She was young when they forced her to host me."

"'Forced her'?" Roy asked.

"Indeed. She was driven by a sense of duty towards her family, however, and did her best to contain me. A remarkable woman, even in old age." Zolnar was a little too close for comfort now, so Roy took a few paces backwards. The creature in his father's body didn't react to this.

"What exactly is your plan, Zolnar?" The name felt weird on his lips, as if he knew he wasn't supposed to say it. "What was the point of the Hell you've put all of us through?"

"To create a new world." Zolnar replied. "You know the story of Noah's ark? The dinosaurs? Even after the death of the world, life begins anew again, greater than before. It's what the five of us were truly created for."

"What?" _Is that true, Brax?_ The wraith didn't respond. "That's...no, that can't be!" Roy protested. "That doesn't make sense! What was the point of you finding hosts then? And besides, not all of us are here! You're-"

"Gav for creation itself, making the inhabitants of the world." Zolnar interrupted, his tone matter-of-fact. "Ari for the air they breathe and the sky they live beneath. Brax for sustaining the life of man and animal. Hani for inventions of man and the ingredients needed for such. And myself to control the span of their lives, and how that span reaches its conclusion. Such has been the cycle for millennia." That familiar grin began to grow on his father's face. "Brax hasn't told you of this, has he? What does he have to say now that you're asking for the truth?"

 _Brax, you said he was buying time. For what? He's just bullshitting me, isn't he?_ Nothing. _He's not telling the truth, right? Brax? BRAX!_ Nothing at all.

"Ask him how many hosts he's had. I've counted them all. Watched as they would use my powers and then restrain me until they deemed the world ready to be renewed. Watched the hosts as Brax let them die in the renewal as well. You may trust him, like the others did, but make no mistake: he, like all of us, is out for himself. This was inevitable, Elroy, and-"

"I don't care." Zolnar paused, staring at him, with almost a dumbfounded look on his face, that didn't quite match up to the creepy look he had

"Excuse me?"

"I don't give a _flying fuck_ about what you have to say." Red hot anger was starting to boil in Roy's stomach. He was done with this. He'd already seen what this was, what the monster was trying to do. "And I don't care what your plan is, either. You murdered my grandmother, hurt me for _years_ just to torture my Papa, made my Mama neglect me, screwed up my _whole life,_ all for the fucking Hell of it!" He stepped forward, his vision starting to tint red. "I look at my mom and can only see what _you_ did. I think of my dad and remember what _you_ made him do. I have nightmares about Nathan, whose only crime was being kind to me, and so you murdered him. I've heard your version of what this is about, and you know what? I've heard _children_ tell better lies." Zolnar was silent, glowering, black smoke beginning to emanate from him."I came here to do one thing: _kill you._ And you know what? I think it'll be the most fun I've had in _years._ "

With everything he'd listed off, it was like reliving it, and he'd moved on from grieving, had moved on from fear. He was finally giving the son of a bitch what he deserved, or he'd die trying.

"Hmph." Zolnar finally said. "Suit yourself. Just remember, Elroy…" The grin came so quickly that Aidan's lips split, blood trickling down his chin and into his mouth. His father's voice was gone now. " _You asked for this._ "

 _Watch out!_ Brax yelled as Zolnar sprinted towards Roy. Before he could respond, he was vaporized, reforming a few feet to the left as Zolnar swung, a thick wisp of black blasting out at a car Roy had been standing in front of. The paint peeled, the metal corroded, and within seconds, the car was nothing more than scrap and colored flakes. Zolnar just laughed and looked over at Roy.

"Fast reflexes, Brax. But I've always wondered…" He raised his hand, a black orb of smoke materializing above it. "What happens if I do that to your host?" Roy's eyes turned red, and he yelled in a voice that wasn't his own.

" _You'll never touch him again!_ "

* * *

Not being able to use her knife made things a little harder, but Alice made do. She waited for a Reagan (that's what she thought of them, as they reminded her more of someone in a possession movie rather than a zombie) to grab at her. She grabbed its wrist, spun it around, and kicked it away. Another swung clumsily at her. She sidestepped and turned with the swing, then grabbed its arm and completed the rotation, launching it back the way it came.

"Your form needs work." Robin commented beside her. She glared at him.

"Excuse the hobo for having no access to training of your approved level, Your Highness." She replied, even curtseying briefly with her skirt before moving to the next Reagan. She heard Red Hood chuckle next to her.

"Get wrecked, brat." He said.

"Tt." Was Robin's only response as they joined her in fighting.

* * *

Angry wasn't something Roy liked to be, but right now? _Damn_ it felt great. With Brax taking the reins when needed, he managed to dodge everything Zolnar threw at him, letting cars or the asphalt beneath him take the punishment...although that did make dodging a little trickier. Hopefully, he could think of a plan before it got too bad to navigate.

 _We have to find a way to get him to vaporize!_ Brax, to his surprise, managed to respond.

 _We can't take this fight to the air on our own. He controls the storm around us, and if we tried to leave he'd-Roy, move!_ Roy looked to Zolnar as a whiplike tendril of black vapor swung at him. Without thinking, Roy vaporized instead of ducking. The black whip hit him...and turned white, dissipating in the air...but not without causing a stinging pain that made Roy wince. Zolnar paused, surprised, then smirked.

"Is that why you saw through what I was telling you?" He asked, Aidan's voice intermixed with it once again. Roy, without dropping his guard, solidified and nodded.

"Brax told me that he can purify darkness. If you were made to cooperate with them to remake the world, then why was he given the very power that could stop you?"

"I suppose you think yourself clever, then?" The wraith asked condescendingly. "And what makes you so sure it wasn't to ensure I was restrained until they wanted me?"

"Two reasons. One, I've seen enough of what you can do to know that they have a good reason to lock you up, so I don't buy the innocent act for a second."

"Hmph. And the other?"

_Behind you!_

"I trust Brax." Roy vaporized and dodged the black tendril that would've wrapped around him. "And I have every reason to." _Any other skills we might have would be greatly appreciated._

_None that you're ready to use yet._

_See, in movies,_ he leapt away from a black sphere that exploded outward, rotting a good chunk of the concrete sidewalk away, _the protagonist usually has learned everything by now._

_Not to be rude, but since when does anything go the way you expect it to?_

_Touche._

* * *

Though this was _far_ from anything Keith had expected his first actual fight to be like, he could manage. It was almost comedic, the looks the corpse had on their faces; the dead looks in their eyes and relaxed facial muscles reminded him of how he'd be when he was around that self entitled brat.

He stared ahead at the small group approaching him before taking a breath and closing his eyes, holding it as he felt the heat rise up in his chest.

_Now._

He snapped open his eyes then, rather than their normal amber, they were sharper as if made of melted gold. No one else could see it, but the zombies were definitely stunned as Keith conjured up an imaginary blockade and made a face as their fists pounded at the air in front of him, but made no direct contact before his eyes dimmed and his lower half-he'd just realised this-had been almost fizzed out into a gold haze, raising alertness only momentarily before he pushed it aside when he saw the looming shadow that swamped his in size and mass easily approached from behind. Turning around, his heart almost sank at the sight of _the_ Killer Croc. His two-toned scales consisting of a rich lime green before his torso a paler shade in contrast to it that began beneath his chin, under his snout.

The look said it all that he was here to help- _plus he didn't like to be stared at like food-_ and stepped aside as he allowed the beast-man to do the rest. His eyes looked toward the bridge where Roy had been entrapped within with that abomination, _Christ, that's his father too._ He rolled his eyes, besides the point. What could he do to help? He felt like he was doing the _least_ work as he watched the others carry out their own duties. He may not fight like a Robin, but he could sure as _hell_ throw down some fists if needed be, so he hesitantly made his way up by Killer Croc. Keith jumped in front of the man(?) and landed a brutal kick to a corpse's face to gain some distance before closing his eyes again.

_Shockwave._

He opened his eyes again as the rest of the corpses flew backward with a wave of golden light, meeting the pavement nearby the other group, a dumb grin reaching his face. Of course it wiped off as he stared back at Waylon, glowering down at him, clearing his throat he looked away, biting his lip with wide eyes. _Okay, stealing his kill is a no no,_ he thought before backing away.

"I'll just…..yeah..." He said sheepishly before running nearer to the bridge, this didn't even have to do with-okay maybe it did, but he hoped that Roy was doing well in there...could he help?

Looking around, everyone had been distracted. Aiding Roy in combat wouldn't hurt right? He approached and with each step, it felt like the previously wild, unpredictable winds changed direction, blowing towards him and nearly knocking him off his feet. Keith looked over to Aileen, but she was clearly busy, launching whirlwinds of her own to blast the corpses away.

This was Roy's fight, but...Keith had a bad feeling that his chances alone weren't very high.

* * *

Just as he was about to launch another inky whip towards Roy, Zolnar stopped, looking stunned. Roy also felt it within himself. Brax was surprised by something too.

_Impossible…_

"Impossible…" Brax and Zolnar spoke at the same time. Zolnar didn't elaborate, but luckily Brax continued.

 _I just sensed an energy I haven't in awhile...Gav is here, one of your friends is hosting him._ Roy froze, no longer paying attention to his opponent.

_What? But who? And how?_

_I don't-LOOK OUT!_ Roy looked up just in time to see Zolnar throwing another pitch black orb that landed at his feet. Without thinking, Roy tried to run to the side instead of flying, and the orb exploded outwards. An ice cold, stabbing pain ran up Roy's leg, and a scream ripped out of his throat as he landed hard upon the pavement. He swore repeatedly as he looked at his foot.

His shoes were already worn, but now his left one looked like they'd barely survived getting dipped into corrosive acid, and his foot was now numb except for that coldness, the pain now nothing more than a dull ache. He couldn't feel it, and couldn't move it either. Brax was silent, probably just as dazed as him...so he didn't see Zolnar approaching until his booted foot collided with Roy's stomach, knocking the breath out of him. He started gasping for breath, a hand flying to his gut, which was now in white-hot agony. Zolnar cackled as he knelt down next to Roy, one hand covered in coal-black smoke.

"So _that's_ what happens…" He mused, lowering the hand slowly towards Roy's other leg, just to scare him. And it was working. Roy's heart was pounding so hard that it started to hurt, and he felt panic rising in him. He finally caught his breath, rolled away, and struck his good leg out, hitting Zolnar in the face with a _crack._ He fell onto his back, but quickly recovered and got back to his feet. Dark red blood gushed from his now broken nose, pouring down his chin and shirt, but he looked less like he was in pain and more like the break was a mild inconvenience. "You little shit…" He growled out in Aidan's voice. Roy froze, looking up at him with wide eyes.

 _Roy?_ Brax asked. _Roy, snap out of it!_

"Time to teach you a fucking lesson…" Aidan slowly approached Roy, eyes their usual dark color. Roy started curling into himself, remembering everything he'd learned to minimize the pain: curl up, hold his breath, pretend you're somewhere else, think about anything else except what's going on.

_Roy, no, stop! Focus, that isn't your dad!_

_Curl up, hold your breath, you're somewhere else, think of something else…_

_ROY!_

_You're back in the apartment building, your friends are with you...Keith, Alice, Evelyn, Sean, Tim...Tim…_ He saw Tim laying limply on the ground, his eyes milky white, unresponsive. He thought of Nathan, leaping in front of the train. He remembered his grandma and parents, smiling and wishing him a happy eighth birthday...and he saw who took that all away.

He uncurled and rolled away just in time to dodge Zolnar's next kick, his eyes the milky white they'd always been. Hate filled every bit of Roy's being. Everything wrong with Roy's life was his fault. Years of fear, of pain, of believing he was weak and worthless.

_You're not weak, Roy. You're not worthless. You know that now. You can make him pay._

Roy forced himself to stand, his hand enveloped in red and white smoke. He bent down and touched his numbed foot. The wisps of white, as pure and bright as the discharge from a fire extinguisher, slid away from Roy's hand, coiling like tiny snakes around the injured foot, watching in amazement as the shoe was repaired, and the feeling returned in the foot...with a few minor stabs of pain that he managed to ignore. He took a step, testing it, then looked up and nearly laughed at how enraged Zolnar looked. Just a moment ago, it would've terrified him. Now? It was hilarious.

Roy had the means to destroy him. And all three of them knew it.

"Thanks for the power showcase." Roy said, holding his hands up as he concentrated, forming a white and red sphere above his palm. "Hope you can take what you dish out." He threw it, and Zolnar sidestepped as it exploded outwards, just barely missing. Zolnar glared and threw a bomb of his own that Roy dodged easily. His eyes glowed red as he took a deep breath and blew out red and white smoke that flew towards Zolnar, who stopped it with a smoke-covered hand...and then hissed in pain as black became red, then white, and finally dissipated completely. "You're a great teacher." Zolnar snarled and ran at Roy, seeming to reach a halfway point between vaporized and not, covering himself in black smoke as he ran.

 _Can I try it yet?_ Roy asked.

_Not yet, bait him into going all the way!_

Roy stayed solid, dodging every blow Zolnar threw his way. He had a feeling it was mostly thanks to Brax that his reflexes were this fast. He barely dodged a kick, leaping back. Okay, he needed to focus. How to bait him? He dodged another blow and remembered what happened when Zolnar tried to block his smoke…

_No. No, Roy, that's too risky! It might hurt you!_

_At this point, I'd stab myself in the gut if it meant taking this asshole down with me._

Roy moved quickly, catching Zolnar's next punch and holding onto his arm with both hands, vaporizing.

The pain was just about unbearable...well, Roy imagined that it was. He barely felt it in his vapor form; it was now just a cold feeling spreading up his arms, the red haze covering his vision beginning to lighten to pink, and then whitish...and then Zolnar broke away, yelling in pain and rage, but Roy remained vaporized, knowing the pain would be paralyzing if he returned to normal. He watched Zolnar thrash around, the smoke covering him becoming a dark gray for a moment as the last of the smoke Roy transferred began to dissipate. While he was trying to recover, Roy threw another sphere.

Zolnar didn't see it until it landed at his feet.

He leapt into the air...and vaporized.

_NOW!_

Roy flew faster than he ever had before, colliding right into Zolnar's cloud.

This time, there _was_ pain.

* * *

Everything stopped. The corpses, the wind, the sound of battle. All was still, for just one moment.

And then, Tim felt like his heart _stopped_ as he heard a sound break out that chilled him to the core: Roy, letting out an ear-piercing, blood-curdling scream of agony.

They all moved at the same time, the fight forgotten as they ran up the bridge, the black cyclone gone, as if it had never been there to begin with.

* * *

Roy wasn't sure what was going on. He felt like he were dreaming, moving without feeling it through a blurry void, colors blending and sounds distorted. He didn't know what else to do except move forward, so he did.

Slowly, the images cleared to trees, grass, and flowers. The sounds clarified to running water, wind rustling the grass and leaves. Feeling slowly returned in Roy's body, from his neck downwards, until he felt the grass brushing his legs and the shoes on his feet. And then he realized where he was.

The glade, as it was supposed to be. As it had once been. The grass lush and thick, the flowers blooming and vibrant, a small stream running down the left side of the glade, the water only a few inches deep, making the sound of it rushing down the bank relaxing.

"This was how it was for Aileen and me." A familiar voice said to his right. Roy looked over, his eyes widened as he took in the sight of Aidan walking next to him. He looked much better, his skin its normal fair tone without looking sickly, his build back to what it had been before Zolnar's possession, his dark eyes clear and his smile, so much like Roy's, broad. "I'm so proud of you, kiddo. One day, it'll look like this again."

"I'm so glad you're okay, Papa…" Roy said, sounding younger than he meant to but not really finding it in himself to care. Aidan didn't respond, his smile unchanged as he reached out and pulled Roy against him in a tight hug.

Roy could feel it. His dad's rough hands, his warmth, the material of his shirt, the sound of his heartbeat...his eyes blurred, and he let the tears fall.

"I don't want to let go of you, Roy…" Aidan said softly. "But there's someone else who wants to see you." He ended the hug, hands on Roy's shoulders as he smiled once more. "I love you, son. And so does your mother. Remember that."

Roy wanted to stay, wanted to respond. But he was moving again before he could utter another word. He only looked back once, and Aidan was watching him, a tear trailing down his cheek.

Roy turned right suddenly, passing through the translucent curtain. The walk seemed far shorter than before. When he got to the platform, a man he'd never seen before was standing by one of the pillars. Tall, as tall as Aidan, with chiseled features, his build strong underneath the blood red tunic and open white robe he wore. His hair and eyes were equally red. He regarded Roy with a big, proud grin.

"And so we finally meet face-to-face." He said, his voice more clear than it had ever been now that he finally heard it instead of sensed it.

"Brax…" Roy couldn't think of anything else to say.

"I knew you could do it. You're smarter than you give yourself credit for." Brax stepped off the platform, then took Roy's hand in his own and led him back onto it. "Now, to answer your questions before what happens next." He began before Roy could ask what that meant. "No, Zolnar was not telling the truth. Not one grain of that tale was true, except that going after your family in particular was not part of his original plan. We are, in fact, meant to prevent the apocalypse. As harrowing as this journey was for you, it's far from the worst to come. And your next trials will come sooner than you think. But first, we have to…" He visibly winced, and just for a moment he became transparent before coming back. "We have to rest. It will take us some time to recover from what just happened."

"What _did_ happen?"

"We stopped Zolnar at the cost of nearly your life. I wasn't sure if you would survive, but I hoped with all my being that you would." He looked at Roy, his expression serious. "Zolnar will never bring harm to you again. I swear that to you. However, he is not destroyed." Roy couldn't suppress a shiver.

"Where is he, then?"

"To purify the darkness, the light must overtake it, absorb it. Zolnar, although now permanently weakened, resides in us. Another reason we must rest. He must recover while you must adjust to his presence, and prepare to learn how to control him." He looked towards another pillar, and Roy followed his gaze.

A pale man sat leaned against the pillar, his raven hair nearly covering his white, half-lidded eyes, and his breathing was ragged. He had far more angular features, and his build was much slighter than Brax's, closer to Roy's really. He regarded Roy and Brax with apparent fear, curling into himself. Roy felt hatred return to him and looked back to Brax.

"I understand your anger towards him, Roy, but he _is_ one of the five we need. Death, violence, and hate can't be destroyed entirely. Nothing excuses what he's done, but the first step to controlling his power is to understand that it's in his nature." Roy slowly nodded, but his anger stayed.

"What do you mean by rest?"

"Sleep, Roy. Perhaps for a long time. We're all weak from…" He tensed, fluctuating again between visible and not. "Weak from the battle, and what was necessary to end it. I must leave for a while. I will still be within you, as always, but I won't be able to speak to you." Fear replaced aggression instantly.

"Please don't…" Roy pleaded, looking up at Brax. "I...I hated it so much when you wouldn't speak to me...I…" He felt tears spilling over again.

"Just as your father and mother do, Roy, I love you. But, just like them, I can't always be beside you, no matter how much I want to be." He drew Roy into a hug that the teen returned tightly. "Close your eyes, Roy. Sing your favorite song, and you'll be asleep soon." Roy did as Brax said and took a deep, shaky breath, his voice cracking as he began to whisper the lyrics.

" _There is no...life I know...to compare with pure imagination…_ "

And then, Elroy Aidan O'Hara fell asleep.

* * *

They all made it to the bridge, one after the other, jumping over spots where the concrete and road seemed to have been eroded away. In the center is where they found the place the battle began months ago, and ended that day.

Aileen yelled out their names first, sprinting over to them, followed by the others. Tim's heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest as he reached them.

Roy and Aidan were laying on the bridge, curled slightly with their foreheads touching, like Yin and Yang. Roy wouldn't respond, wouldn't wake or speak, but his heartbeat and breathing, though slow, were stable.

Aidan wasn't so lucky.

* * *

Keith and the others had temporarily moved into the Wayne Manor. What excuse Batman cooked up to explain it to the press, he didn't know.

The coma patients miraculously woke up. The corpses were returned to the morgues. Amber had been released from the hospital, having managed to keep the possessed corpse at bay at the cost of worsening her injury. For now, she walked with crutches.

Aidan had been buried at the Gotham Cemetery. Aileen and the others attended the funeral, and Aileen visited the grave almost every day. She also, like the others, visited her son, even more than Tim.

Roy still hadn't woken up. He wasn't in a coma; his brain activity was the same as someone that was simply sleeping. He just...wouldn't wake up. Keith had a harder time doing so, but they all held hope he'd wake up soon.

Sometimes he visited at night, and once, he had decided to at least make sure Roy had good dreams. So he had put his hand on Roy's forehead, his eyes glowing a beautiful gold, and sang his friend's favorite song as he cast his best illusion yet, in the form of a dream. A dream where Roy's parents and grandma were all alive, where he spent every day happy, where he had a normal life.

The problem of creating such a realistic dream would not dawn on Keith until Roy woke up. Keith only wanted Roy to be happy while he slept, but the road to Hell was paved with good intentions, and sometimes too much of a good thing is bad.

But for now, in the present, Keith had accomplished his goal: while he slept, Roy would be happy.

" _Living there...you'll be free...if you truly wish to be…_ "

**-End-**

**Will Be Continued In The Next Part: Sleight of Hand**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so concludes Roy's story! Thank you so much to everyone who has read this story, and I hope you liked its ending!
> 
> An extra special thank you to a very close friend of mine who helped co-write a scene during the battle, as well as many other parts of this story! Without him, this wouldn't have been possible!


End file.
